How Cash-Based Chiropractic Can Simplify Insurance Woes

Highlights

• Cash-based chiropractic billing provides practices an alternative to insurance-based approaches, which can result in slow cash flow and claim denials.
• With cash-based billing, your practice can see quicker, more reliable payments from patients, improving yourability to predict cash flow.
• Cash-based billing reduces administrative burdens like coding and claim submission, allowing your staff to focus on patient care.

One of the most common hurdles in the chiropractic care sector is dealing with health insurers. From health insurance plans with limited coverage for chiropractic care to complex billing systems and high deductibles, chiropractors often face many challenges preventing them from providing accessible care.

The most common alternative to insurance-based payment is a cash-based chiropractic model, which offers a faster, more streamlined, and transparent payment solution for caregivers and patients.

Insurance Billing Challenges in Chiropractic Practice

Under the insurance billing model, a chiropractor bills an insurance company by submitting a claim to a company and requesting payment for their care. While the insurance-based billing method has been an industry standard for several decades, it still presents hurdles for chiropractors, such as administrative burdens, payment delays, cash flow issues, and insurance claim denials.

Administrative Burdens in Chiropractic Practices

The insurance billing model requires chiropractors to contact insurance companies and navigate their often complex requirements, such as coding systems, finding proper documentation, verifying their patients’ insurance coverage, or obtaining authorizations and certifications.

While most insurance companies follow standardized coding systems, each can include additional requirements and impose its own policies and coverage guidelines. These tasks are time-consuming and often introduce payment delays.

Delayed Payments and Cash Flow Issues

Even if a claim is processed correctly by an insurance company, there is typically a gap between the chiropractor providing care and the insurance company issuing the payment. Although most states require insurers to pay within 30 days, adjustments and errors can cause long reimbursement delays, negatively impacting practice cash flow.

Claims Denials

An insurance company may sometimes deny a claim, introducing further delays or preventing chiropractors from receiving payment for their services. Common causes of claim denials include long response times, documentation deficiencies, coding errors, typographical mistakes, and failure to meet coverage criteria.

According to a 2022 study, denial rates for some insurers increased to 1.5% of billed services between 2014 and 2019.

Cash-Based Chiropractic Practice: A Solution to Billing Challenges

Under the cash-based model, chiropractors can charge patients directly and immediately after providing care. These chiropractic billing solutions allow your practice to bypass insurance companies and long, complex processing times.

Patients typically pay using cash, credit cards, or debit cards after receiving care, just as they would when purchasing everyday goods and services. It also helps practices provide quality chiropractic care to the uninsured and underinsured.In addition to simpler and faster administrative processes, chiropractic cash practices can also offer more personalized care.

Unlike the insurance-based model, which requires them to follow an insurance company’s policies and limitations, the cash-based approach lets a chiropractor offer customized and appropriately priced treatment plans based on the patient’s specific needs.

Benefits of Transitioning to a Cash-Based Practice

If you operate a chiropractic practice or center, below are some of the main benefits of switching from insurance-based care to a cash-based model.

Simplified Chiropractic Billing

Cash-based chiropractic practices can bill patients directly after providing care, eliminating the need to navigate insurance company claims, coding systems, and administrative requirements. Patients only need to pay with cash, credit, or debit, letting chiropractors use a single, all-in-one payment processing system.

Fewer Administrative Burdens

Under the cash-based model, chiropractors don’t need to spend time and resources on insurance-based administrative tasks. There is no requirement to verify coverage, submit claims, handle documentation, or contest denied claims.

Prompt Payments and Improved Cash Flow

Paying with cash, credit card, or debit card benefits the patient and the chiropractic practice. It is a faster and more convenient way for patients to pay for their care.

For chiropractors, because they don’t need to deal with an insurer to receive payment, it is more efficient as there are no processing delays or intermediaries. Another benefit for chiropractors is faster and more predictable cash flows, making the practice more financially stable.

Greater Transparency for Patients

Patients must pay a cash-based chiropractor directly, meaning they benefit from upfront and transparent pricing. It allows patients to understand the exact costs of chiropractic care, eliminating confusing insurance-based elements such as deductibles, coverage criteria, or co-payments.

The transparency of a cash-based model also helps chiropractic practices comply with the No Surprises Act billing requirements.

Improved Patient Care in Chiropractic Practices

Cash-based billing gives chiropractors more flexibility and autonomy than insurance-based models. It allows them to customize or tailor treatment plans to specific patients’ needs and requirements without conforming to insurance limitations, policies, or criteria. Patients can benefit from individualized, symptom-specific care, promoting trust and improved outcomes.

Streamlining a Cash-Based Chiropractic Practice With ChiroTouch

While switching to a cash-based payment model can help you focus on caregiving and improving your patients’ lives, using the right tools can enhance your practice’s quality of care. A dedicated chiropractic EHR software like ChiroTouch can help you streamline your workflows and provide the best possible level of care.

All-in-One Dashboard

ChiroTouch’s dashboard centralizes all the data you need in one place, helping you review critical patient information and complete SOAP-compliant notes quickly. ChiroTouch is also 100% compatible with all devices, letting you access patient data on any internet-connected computer, laptop, tablet, or mobile phone.

Integrated Payment Processing

ChiroTouch features fully integrated payment processing systems. Set your fees and pricing; ChiroTouch handles the rest, streamlining cash flows in your chiropractic practice.

Patients can pay you directly through our platform with CT Payments, simplifying processing times and enhancing your chiropractic practice’s efficiency. CT Payments can also save card details and support recurring payments, maximizing convenience for your cash-based practice.

Easy to Use

ChiroTouch is a chiropractic practice management tool designed and iterated by an expert team of 40 software developers to maximize ease of use. There is no need to install dedicated hardware or software; you only need a browser to use ChiroTouch.

We also provide comprehensive online tutorials, case studies and testimonials, and multimodal resources to guide you through our software, reducing adaptation times and getting you acquainted with ChiroTouch workflows as quickly as possible.

Empower Your Cash-Based Practice With an Integrated Chiropractic EHR

ChiroTouch is a chiropractic practice management software loved and trusted by over 36,000 chiropractic users. We have served practices, centers, and other care providers for over 20 years. ChiroTouch makes managing your patients’ EHR easy with its user-centric design and understanding of the chiropractic sector.