Medicare may not pay for someone to have holistic doctors or holistic healthcare. A holistic doctor may use complementary and alternative medicine to treat health issues alongside using contemporary healthcare. Medicare covers certain holistic practices, but not all of them.
To determine if a person’s Medicare plan covers holistic doctors, they must review their benefits summary and contact their insurers for further information.
Medicare Part B covers certain chiropractic services, such as spinal manipulation by a licensed chiropractor to correct issues such as vertebral subluxation, which refers to misaligned bones in the spine.
After a person meets the Part B deductible, they will pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.
Medicare covers up to 12 acupuncture treatments for chronic low back pain in a 90-day period. However, if the back pain does not improve, Medicare will not cover further treatments.
Medicare also does not recognize naturopathic doctors as eligible sources. Naturopathic doctors come under the holistic health umbrella and practice alternative medicine.
Holistic healthcare considers the person as a whole instead of focusing on a specific ailment or illness.
Holistic healthcare may include:
- massage therapy
- mindfulness and meditation
- yoga
- hypnotherapy
- art therapy
Learn more about holistic healthcare.
