I’m often puzzled when a prospective new patient calls my office to inquire about our services. When I speak with them I’m often prepared to answer questions about the type of chiropractic care we provide, what sorts of conditions do we successfully treat, our hours of operation, the techniques we use, etc.
Instead I almost am asked some version a combination of two questions:
- How much does your initial visit cost and how much are ongoing adjustments?
- Do you accept XYZ insurance?
Let’s first address why these might not be the most appropriate questions to ask upfront and then we will dive into a slightly different approach that is much more likely to yield information to help you on your search for a chiropractor in Grass Valley or wherever you might live.
Most people come to a chiropractor after it is apparent that whatever is going on is not resolving on its own. That alone is an indication that it might take a little bit of time to fully resolve the problem.
If that is the case the cost of the initial visit, unless it is a high amount like $250 or more, is not a significant factor in the overall cost of care.
The same applies to the cost of ongoing adjustments. A difference of $5 to $10 per visit is unlikely to make a significant difference in your overall cost of care.
Now to insurance. The vast majority of insurance for chiropractic care has a few significant weaknesses when it comes to paying for care:
- Large deductibles: most policies have deductibles in the multiple thousands of dollars. This is the amount you have to pay out of pocket before insurance covers anything. The total cost of chiropractic care is almost always less than the deductible.
- Many insurance companies have very limited coverage for chiropractic that won’t cover your needed care. On top of that with the reimbursements being very low many chiropractors add in uncovered services in an attempt to raise the total visit fee. These additional fees come out of your pocket.
Often the cost of care for you in an office that bills insurance can be more than in an office that charges a fair cash fee for needed services.
How to Search for a “Chiropractor Near Me”
Here is a screenshot for a search I did for a “chiropractor near me” in Grass Valley, CA this morning.
These are the top 3 results from that search. My office, Life Chiropractic, is in the top 3 results. And, while I’d love for you to give us a call if I’m honest this search provides you with very little useful information on which to base your choice.
This is a good start for your search. Here’s how I’d suggest proceeding from here:
- Look at the number of reviews. All three offices have from 45 to 84 5-star reviews. Open up the reviews and read some of the more in depth reviews.
- What do people have to say about the doctor, the office, their care, etc.
- All three offices have websites. In this day and age if an office does not have a website it might raise the simple question of why not.
Chiropractor Website
The first thing about a website should be the appearance and feel of the site. After all, a website should reflect the tastes of the doctor.
Beyond that you are looking for some information that will give you a better sense of the approach, experience, and philosophy of the practice.
Look for a tab for the ‘About’ information that should offer you something about the doctor’s philosophy, experience, and approach to both chiropractic and health.
Another website page you might want to look at is the ‘FAQ’ page that might answer some questions you have.
Referrals Are Always Best!
Your online search should yield a few chiropractors with convenient locations and office hours. Beyond that you should seek out the recommendation of people you know and trust. What have their experiences been with local chiropractors? Were they comfortable with the doctor? Was the care effective? Do they still see the chiropractor and if not would they go back?
Ask people what they like about the chiropractor.
Ask people if the chiropractor was rough or gentle. More gentle is better!
Ask if they did different adjustments each visit or were the visits identical. You want YES!
Ask if they performed an analysis each visit before adjusting them. You want YES!
Life Chiropractic Grass Valley
We are a small office with a personal touch specializing in corrective chiropractic care. If you are interested in scheduling your initial visit you can do that here: Schedule Here