Ellie Eich, LAc in Ukiah recently shared this tip with me.
If you’re an acupuncturist or chiropractor, and you practice 40 or more miles away from a Veterans hospital, you can be paid for your services by treating our wonderful Veterans. Here’s how:
The Veterans Choice Act, is a public law that provides funding for veterans so they may seek treatment outside of the VA. Everyone who qualifies for medical coverage through the Department of Veterans Affairs automatically qualifies for 100% covered treatments through the Veterans Choice Program. This law guarantees acupuncture and chiropractic care to all eligible veterans, but at this time, not all VA facilities are equipped to offer this service.
Veterans have two options:
- First, contact your VA primary care provider (PCP) and see if they provide this service on site. If they do, ask to begin the process for approval.
- Second, if your PCP does not offer acupuncture or chiropractic care, the VA can send you to a private acupuncturist or chiropractic clinic and cover the bill for you. This option is called “fee-basis” and will also require approval from your PCP.
For our chiros and acupuncturists: If you’d like to care for Veterans in your community and become a provider where the VA will refer new patients to you, you’ll need to start by completing the registration form below.
And inside this, there’s a link to Provider Handbook, which has pretty much everything one needs to know: billing, requirements for record-keeping, etc.
They’ll contact you once you’re in their system. You’ll be able to put up signs such as “I treat veterans” but then they’ll contact you to refer patients. This works ideally in rural areas, if your health clinic is outside of the 40 mile boundary of a VA hospital/clinic. Here’s how to locate VA centers your particular area.
Here are some interesting factoids: Average Department of Veterans Affairs Acupuncturist yearly pay in the United States is approximately $72,923, which is 29% above the national average.
The compensation depends on one’s neighborhood. The fees are slightly different in each area-once you’re a provider and are logged in, you’ll be able to access the fee schedule for your area.
There’s a good seminar/webinar that Sam Collins does through the AAC and in this he explains all kinds of insurances and how to navigate through. It’s very helpful for someone just starting out with the veterans/triwest.
For more information visit the Insurance Information Network via the American Acupuncture Council Network website.
Thank you Ellie for sharing this valuable Biz Tip with all of us today! For those of you who are looking for new patients, are outside of that 40-mile radius, and you’d like some solid income, please contact Triwest.com to see if you’re eligible.
It’s a great way to help our wonderful Vets while keeping your business on solid ground.
