This page contains important information on how Veterans can receive chiropractic services that are covered by their VA health benefits. If you are a Veteran or have a family member or friend that is a Veteran, please read below.
Services provided by Chiropractors are part of the standard medical benefits package available to all eligible Veterans. The VA can choose to provide benefits to Veterans in 2 ways:
- By sending Veterans to an on-site VA chiropractic clinic
- By sending Veterans to a private chiropractor, using the “Fee-Basis” approach where the VA pays the bill.
Over the past several years, thousands of Veterans have received the services provided by Chiropractors at VA clinics as well as through the fee-basis procedure. Many VA primary care providers are routinely discussing the services provided by chiropractors as an option with their patients. If your primary care provider has not discussed this with you, bring it up and explain why you think the services delivered by chiropractors can be a good option for your particular problem. Some of those reasons may be:
- I have received chiropractic services before and it worked for me.
- I have a friend or relative with similar problems and a Chiropractor helped them.
- I prefer to avoid unnecessary pain medication or surgery for my problem.
Some Veterans have found their local VA is reluctant to send them for fee-basis care outside the VA facility, and have required them to jump through many hoops to get a referral for a Chiropractor. This is against VA policy and does not go along with VA's own stated mission to be "veteran-centered." Services delivered by Chiropractors are part of your standard VA health benefits and no VA facility can tell you they "do not provide" these essential health benefits.
You should be concerned if your VA primary care provider refers you for fee-basis care and someone else at the VA facility denies that referral. Many times the VA facility is trying to save money by denying fee-basis care delivered by Chiropractors, even though they spend a great deal on numerous other treatments. If you suspect that you were unfairly denied the services delivered by Chiropractors, you should make a complaint with the patient advocate at your VA facility.
Don’t live one more day in discomfort. Call us today at (904) 733-7020 to schedule your appointment. You can also make an appointment online by clicking the "Schedule Online" button.