Patient Educational Handout (Customize with your Letterhead)
New Insurance Policy Could Limit Your Access to Chiropractic Care
Your Insurance Carrier implemented a policy that reduces how much it pays in-network providers for certain therapy services—even though these services are still listed as covered in your plan.
That means your chiropractor is being paid less for delivering the same care, especially when multiple therapies (such as traction, therapeutic massage, or other modalities) are provided during the same visit.
Why This Matters to You:
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Your chiropractor may have to reduce appointment availability, clinic hours, or therapy options.
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Clinic staffing and scheduling could be affected.
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You might receive fewer services per visit, or need to come in more often to get the same care.
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Some clinics may be forced to stop seeing patients covered by Your Insurance Carrier altogether.
This isn’t a change to your benefits—it’s a change in how Your Insurance Carrier reimburses your provider, and it directly threatens your access to high-quality, in-network chiropractic care.
Your Insurance Carrier Is Selling You a Policy with Phantom Coverage
This is an example of phantom coverage—when a service is technically covered by your insurance, but behind-the-scenes policies make it difficult or impossible to access.
Here’s how Your Insurance Carrier’s Multiple Therapy Payment Reduction (MTPR) policy creates phantom coverage:
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It drastically reduces payment to providers when multiple therapies are performed on the same day.
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It penalizes comprehensive care—even when it’s medically necessary.
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It may force providers to limit care, reduce staff, or stop accepting Your Insurance Carrier entirely.
Even Though Services Are “Covered,” You May Face:
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Fewer available appointments
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Fewer therapies delivered per visit
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More visits (and more time off work or higher out-of-pocket cost)
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Difficulty finding or keeping an in-network provider
What You Can Do
If you value your care and want it to remain available, speak up.
Ask your chiropractor how you can help, or consider contacting Your Insurance Carrier and state officials to share how this policy affects your access to care.
www.masschiro.org
