Does Tricare Cover Chiropractic – Overview
In today’s modern life, people tend to work harder to earn their bread and fulfill their desires. They often forget to look after their health to achieve their life goals. According to a recent study, over 40% of the youth experience back problems. If you face the same problem, you must visit a chiropractic clinic.
Chiropractic treatments help you live worry-free as they can relieve unbearable pain from different parts of your body, including your back. If you are associated with a Tricare Health Program, you must wonder if Tricare Cover Chiropractic. Well, this article clears all your doubts.
What is Tricare Health Insurance?
Tricare is a Health Care Program exclusively available for U.S. Armed Forces military personnel, retirees, and their family members and other dependents. The US Department of Defense Ministry Health System backs the program. The program provides healthcare services at no-cost or low-cost to all eligible candidates.
What Do You Mean by Chiropractic Care?
Does Tricare Cover Chiropractic – What is Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic Care is nothing but manual therapy to cure your pain from different body parts. The treatment is offered by a skilled Chiropractor who has earned a license in the field and offers his service to patients of different age groups and communities.
The manual therapy asks you to visit a reliable chiropractor who will teach you some exercises and also offers you a proper diet plan that you must follow to heal faster.
Chiropractic care includes stretching your body parts and applying pressure to joints to relieve pain. It is simple but requires a professional chiropractor who knows the skeleton structure properly.
To become a licensed Chiropractor, one must pass the National Board of Chiropractor Examiners exam. Besides this, a special degree is also required, such as a Doctor of Chiropractic.
When Should You Require Chiropractic Care?
There are some conditions where medications or surgeries are not advised but to visit the chiropractor. Yes, a chiropractor can heal your pain without expensive surgeries and unwanted medications. A list of conditions will help you know about the conditions where you require chiropractic care.
- Back pain
- Sciatica
- Back injuries due to accidents
- Arthritis
- Osteoarthritis
- Migraines
- Fibromyalgia
- Muscle stiffness or pain
- Sports injuries
- Pinched nerves
In some conditions, a patient experience inflammation; in such conditions, your healthcare provider would not advise you to visit a chiropractor. People with inflammatory diseases require special care while getting treatment from the Chiropractor. It will become more painful for those with inflammatory diseases.
Discuss your present health condition with your healthcare provider and chiropractor. This will help them know about your condition and provide the right treatment to you, which can help you get treated faster.
Does Tricare Cover Chiropractic?
Well, Tricare doesn’t provide coverage for Chiropractic Care. Tricare Health Care has several plans listed on its website. You can go through each program to get more details on what types of coverage it provides, etc. If you see the list, there is no Chiropractic Care listed.
However, U.S. Military Members can get Chiropractic Care through a special Tricare Chiropractic Health Care Program program. It is a special program designed by the Tricare team for military personnel. However, this program is only available for current military personnel and not for their family members or retirees.
What are the Non-Chiropractic Care Treatments?
Tricare’s official site states that the family members of military personnel and retirees can get non-chiropractic care treatments. But what does a non-chiropractic treatment mean?
A non-chiropractic treatment is a treatment that serves the purpose of chiropractic treatment differently. The treatment also involves manual therapies and not any medications or surgeries.
If the family members or the retirees require chiropractic treatment but don’t want to spend money on the treatments, they can go for the non-chiropractic treatments under the Tricare Health Care Program. The family members and retirees can avail of the non-chiropractic services in the Military Health Care System.
What are the Alternatives to Chiropractic Care?
As stated above, some options are available for family members and retirees to fix their pain issues without chiropractic care. The following methods will work for all individuals.
- Massage
- Acupuncture
- Stress Reduction Techniques
- Yoga
These traditional and non-invasive methods are available for family members and retirees who can’t get chiropractic care under the Tricare Health Care program. Healthcare providers still recommend these methods to cure some conditions.
These treatments are cheaper than Chiropractic Care. These programs help patients live with confidence and also improve their mental health.
Who Can Enroll in Tricare Chiropractic Health Care Program?
The Tricare Chiropractic Health Care Program is exclusively designed for military members who have been active for 30 consecutive days. The program is open to all military members, including reserved members and guards.
Before an active military member enrolls in this program, he must visit the Primary Care Manager. If the Primary Care Manager prescribes for Chiropractor, he can only enroll in the program.
The Primary Care Manager would first ask you to go for the screenings and some lab tests to check your medical conditions. After evaluating the reports, he may recommend you go for chiropractic care.
The Tricare Chiropractic Health Care Program is dependent upon the Primary Care Manager. The Primary Care Manager is the deciding authority who will decide whether you must enroll in this program.
How Can Military Members Receive Tricare Covered Services?
Since Tricare doesn’t cover Chiropractic Care, military members and their family members or retirees are not allowed to get Chiropractic Care under this program. However, the program provides coverage against many other conditions.
First, a military member should call a Tricare Representative and discuss his current health condition. He can get proper assistance from the representative.
The Tricare services are not openly available to all locations but at designated military hospitals, military bases, and military clinics. You can get more information about the same from their website or by connecting with their representative.
The Bottom Line:
Tricare doesn’t cover Chiropractic Care- it doesn’t mean the doors for Chiropractic Care are closed. There are many other manual therapies that military personnel, retirees, and their family members can receive at a cheaper cost. All the alternative techniques to chiropractic care are listed above in this article.
If the Primary Care Manager asks for Chiropractic Care, then you should not search for the Chiropractor who offers smart discounts for military personnel. Yes, many such Chiropractor Clinics are available that provide discounts for veterans and their family members.
See Also
How Much Does a Chiropractor Cost Without Insurance?
Can Chiropractors Write Prescriptions?
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