Veterans, You Can Get Help With Chiropractor Costs

If you're a veteran and were involved in an accident--whether it was during your military service or not--there are ways that the Department of Veterans Affairs and a chiropractor can work together to bring down costs while delivering great care. It'll take a bit of research into your benefits and your situation, but there are different areas where costs can be cut to get the care you need. Here are a few benefits available for veterans as part of their payment for serving the country.

The Service-Connected Problem

Veterans with service-connected disabilities can get medical care covered by Veterans Affairs (VA) at no cost, but chiropractic care isn't a standard VA service. Even if it was, long wait times at VA facilities means that you'll be better off at a non-VA facility. 

Referrals are a simpe paperwork issue for veterans with service-connected disability, but what does service-connected mean? If you have an injury or condition that happened during military service, you can apply for VA disability.

If your condition was caused after the end of your military service, it doesn't count. However, every veteran with an honorable discharge is eligible for basic medical benefits. These basic benefits may not be enough for surgery or other extreme cases of medical emergency, but they can help if you don't have funds otherwise.

Using Medical Benefits For Affordable Care

The first thing to do is ask plainly about getting a referral. There is no law or policy saying that you can or can't get a referral to a chiropractor, and even though it's not likely, you may be surprised what you can get if you ask the right people.

One of the easiest ways into one or two chiropractor visits is to claim disability or appeal an existing disability decision. If you have any kind of problem involving your back, spine, or other chiropractor-related areas, you'll receive a compensation and pension (C&P) examination to get to the bottom of the problem.

As you wait for the appointment or appeal the findings, ask for a referral to a non-VA provider. Have the name of an auto accident chiropractor ready and wait for referral approval. If their referral is denied, there are still ways to chip away at costs.

If you end up having to pay out of-pocket for an auto accident chiropractor, you shouldn't have to pay for medical or some forms of equipment. Before ordering any medication or filling any prescription, take your chiropractor's information to a VA clinic and either wait in the lobby or set up an appointment.

For basic anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxers, or even anxiety treatment medication, a VA professional could write the prescription for you at no cost or the cost of shipping. Some information about prescriptions is covered at the VA's prescription page, but a lot of the decisions are at the VA doctor's discretion. As long as abuse or illegal sales/sharing isn't suspected, there's little reason to say no.

Contact a chiropractor and explain your situation to work on cost-cutting plan for care with the VA, or to work towards a disability claim success to avoid leaving your care to chance. Click here for more info on this topic.