Understanding Your Insurance Coverage
Welcome to Performance Sport Care, where Dr. Douglas Cancel, a premier sports chiropractor in Walnut Creek, offers exceptional manual therapy, pain relief, and rehabilitative strength training. Understanding your insurance coverage is crucial if you are relying on it to cover the cost of the type of services we offer. Here’s what you need to know:
Bring Your Insurance Card
On your first visit with Dr. Cancel, be sure to bring your current insurance card. Please notify us of any changes in your coverage or address. Insurance plans frequently change, so it’s vital to confirm your coverage with your carrier when making an appointment.
Our Commitment to You
We strive to answer your insurance questions and will handle the submission of claims. However, we cannot guarantee advance payment by your insurance company. The landscape of insurance coverage is ever-changing, and you are ultimately responsible for payments for services not covered by your plan.
Check Your Benefits and Eligibility Ahead of Time
The scheduling process will run much more smoothly and you will get treatment sooner if you verify your insurance benefits and eligibility before making an appointment. Contact your insurance carrier directly using the number on your card. Remember, you are responsible for payments for services not covered by your insurance.
Why Choose Performance Sport Care?
Performance Sport Care has experience with various health insurance plans, including:
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield
- Cigna
- Great West
- Guardian
Check with your insurance carrier if it’s not listed above. Please note, Dr. Cancel is not contracted with any HMO plans including Kaiser. Nor is he currently contracted with Medicare.
Important Note on Referrals
If your plan requires a referral from a Primary Care Physician, it must be presented at the time of service.
Be Aware of American Specialty Health Plans (ASHP)
Some insurance plans may have a silent subcontracting agreement with American Specialty Health Plans (ASHP), a privately owned company. This arrangement, often not clearly indicated on your insurance card or fully explained, can significantly impact your chiropractic and acupuncture benefits.
How ASHP May Impact Your Treatment
When an insurance plan is linked with ASHP, this company may intervene in your chiropractor-patient relationship after your treatment has commenced. They often impose constraints on your benefits under the guise of “medical necessity.” Apparently, services not considered “medically necessary” translate to higher profits for ASHP. This process involves retroactive “pre-authorization” requirements, creating an extra paperwork load for your treating chiropractor. Not surprisingly, despite comprehensive documentation, this can lead to:
- Limited Treatment Approvals: The approval of a restricted number of generic treatments, which may or may not fully meet your specific health needs.
- Reduced Payment Amounts: Payments to providers that are considerably lower than those paid by many other health plans for covered services. This may or may not provide a disincentive for a health care provider to provide top notch care.
For these reasons, we choose not to be contracted with ASHP.
Payment Policy
Payment is expected at the time of service, regardless of insurance coverage. We accept various payment methods, including personal checks, and all major credit cards. We do not extend services on credit for “Attorney Leins.”
Missed Appointment Policy
We require 24-hour notice for appointment cancellations. Missed appointments without a full 24 hour notice are subject to the customary charge that would have occurred if the appointment would have been kept, EXCEPT in cases of medical illness, family emergency, or first responder duty.
Serving the Walnut Creek Community
Dr. Cancel and his team at Performance Sport Care are dedicated to helping you achieve your health and fitness goals. We serve Walnut Creek and surrounding areas including Concord, Pleasant Hill, Danville, and Lafayette.
Schedule Your Visit Today.
Experience the best in chiropractic care at Performance Sport Care. To schedule your visit, call (925) 945-1155 or click below to schedule a consultation. Discover the path to pain-free living.
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