INSURANCE POLICIES

If You Have Insurance

It is very important to bring your current insurance card with you on your first visit to Dr. Douglas Cancel at Performance Sport Care. Please provide notification of any change in your coverage or in your address. As changes often occur in the various health care plans, please verify your coverage with your insurance carrier at the time you make an appointment. Even though your insurance carrier may not be shown on the list below, you may call us at (925) 945-1155 to see what our payment experience has been with them.

We will make every effort to answer your questions and, when the time comes, we will do all the work in electronically submitting claims to your insurance carrier. However, we cannot guarantee payment of our services by your insurance company in advance. Insurance companies are frequently placing new restrictions on covered services without adequate notice to consumers. In addition, studies sponsored by certain health care and consumer groups have revealed significant claims processing error rates among certain health plans. From the perspective of an experienced sports chiropractor or back doctor, when it comes to insurance coverage, it seems that nothing can be predicted with certainty. Please note that you are ultimately responsible for payment of all services that are not covered by your insurance plan.

Benefits and eligibility

Again, when choosing a Walnut Creek chiropractor, back doctor, or any other health care provider, it is advised that you determine your insurance benefits and eligibility. To do so, please contact your insurance carrier directly by calling the customer service telephone number located on your insurance card. Please note that you are ultimately responsible for payment of all services that are not covered by your insurance plan.

Insurance carriers providing benefits

The following is a partial list of health insurance plans that have been providing payment for the services of Walnut Creek chiropractor Douglas F. Cancel, D.C. / Performance Sport-Care:

• Aetna
• Anthem Blue Cross
• Blue Shield
• Cigna
• Great West
• Guardian
• United Healthcare
• Medicare – limited to spinal adjustments only. No coverage for exams or ANY other treatment or diagnostic modalities.

Dr. Cancel is a Walnut Creek chiropractor who is not a contracted HMO provider. If your insurance carrier is not listed above, we suggest you call your insurance company and verify your benefits prior to your initial visit. While we are happy to see you and participate in your health care, we also want to also make sure that you understand the benefits available to you under your insurance before entering treatment.

* NOTE: Referrals from Primary Care Physicians, if a plan requirement, must be presented at the time of service.

Warning

There are currently some insurance plans that do not indicate on the insurance card you were provided a subcontracting arrangement with a certain for-profit company, based in San Diego, called American Specialty Health (ASH). Nor is it clearly explained to plan members what this arrangement effectively means. When this arrangement exists, after treatment has already started and claims have been submitted, ASH will attempt to act as a “middle man” in your doctor-patient relationship by imposing significant restrictions on your Acupuncture and Chiropractic benefits. These restrictions are imposed under the purported pretext of “medical necessity” and are accomplished through the imposition of retroactive “pre-authorization” requirements which involve an additional paperwork burden on your treating Doctor. Regardless of the impressiveness of the documentation submitted, this ultimately results in 1) authorization/approval of a limited number of generic treatments that may or may not adequately serve your needs, and 2) payment amounts for your treatment that are distinctly lower than most patients would normally expect from an insurance company that covers such services.

Payment Policy

We expect payment, in full, at the conclusion of each treatment for non-insured patients or the “co-payment” portion for patients with insurance. We accept cash, checks, VISA, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express.

Missed Appointment Policy

24 hours notification is expected for ALL appointment cancellations. Missed appointments that occur without 24 hour notification are subject to the normal and customary charge that would’ve applied if the appointment had been kept. Charges for missed appointments do NOT apply ONLY in the following situations: 1) you are experiencing a medical illness or family emergency, 2) you are called to duty as a “First Responder.”

Dr. Douglas Cancel and team can help you achieve your health and fitness goals. We serve the residents of Walnut Creek, CA, and the nearby communities of Concord, Pleasant Hill, Danville and Lafayette.

Get the best possible results faster with your chiropractic treatment at Performance Sport Care. To schedule your visit, call (925) 945-1155 or use our Request an Appointment form.