Chiropractic Medicare X-rays (Newsletter from 8/29)

Chiropractic Medicare X-Rays ~ Newsletter from August 29

Medicare is an excellent Chiropractic program.  No other insurance company, PPO, HMO, etc., requires Chiropractic Philosophy, Science and Art as in the Medicare guidelines. Chiropractic Medicare was written by chiropractors (Dr. Day, Dr. Hulsebus, etc.)

There are two(2) parts to Chiropractic Medicare to make a mandatory claim:
    1.  The Chiropractor must prove a vertebral subluxation.
    2.  The Chiropractor must "document" the chiropractic necessity of care by "federal standards."

I strongly recommend doing x-rays on each Medicare patient.  (P.A.R.T. is weak and can be challenged, where as, using your x-rays, you are the authority in regards to locating subluxations.) 

You must have a minimum of two views of each region you adjust (AP & Lateral).  The films must be of good quality and evidence of collination.  The x-ray films must be on location or in a location the doctor has access too, as the Medicare carrier may request those films as they did at the beginning of Chiropractic Medicare.

I suggest doing the following x-rays on each Medicare patient each year.  (If the doctor proves vertebral subluxation by way of x-rays, then the Chiropractor must have a new x-ray that is not over 12 months old, or the Medicare claim will be denied.)
    1 14x36 AP full spine
    1 8x10 Lat. Cervical (including occipital)
    1 7x17 Lat. Thoracic
    1 7x17 Lat. Lumbar (including Sacrum and coccyx)

Chiropractic x-rays are important in that it helps locate vertebral subluxations, pathologies, etc., and they are mandatory for we Chiropractors that use them to prove a subluxation.