Acupuncture Los Angeles

Medicare Coverage: Does Medicare Cover Acupuncture?

As a general rule, Medicare only covers services and supplies that are medically necessary. Does Medicare consider acupuncture to be medically necessary?

Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) is the coverage offered through the government to eligible individuals. This coverage does not cover everything, but covers most services and supplies that are medically necessary. The Medicare program does not consider alternative therapy, such as acupuncture, holistic therapies, herbal medicines, and homeopathy to be medically necessary.

Therefore, Medicare does not cover any of the costs associated with acupuncture. If you wish to undergo acupuncture treatments, you will be responsible for the full cost of the service unless you have additional health insurance that will help with the expenses. In addition, certain acupuncturists may offer discounts to those whose health insurance does not cover any of the costs.

Do Medicare insurance plans cover acupuncture?

Medicare Supplement plans cover at least the same benefits as Original Medicare, including services and supplies that are medically necessary. These plans use the same guidelines to determine what is medically necessary. Therefore, Medicare Supplement plans normally do not cover acupuncture services. On the other hand, some Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage of alternative therapy, including acupuncture. The plans that offer coverage of these services will say so in their plan details. Keep in mind that not all Medicare Advantage plans will offer additional services. Regardless of which type of plan may cover these services, they must be:

-Medically necessary

-Delivered or performed by a health care professional who participates in Medicare

To find out whether your plan covers some or all of the costs of acupuncture, you can contact the plan directly. If you would like to find a Medicare Advantage plan that covers acupuncture services, you may use the Medicare plan comparison tool to compare all plans available in your area and see their specific coverage details.