A review of data from 85,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee beneficiaries over a period of two years resulted in an important discovery: when patients initiated treatment for low back pain with a doctor of chiropractic (DC) instead of a medical doctor (MD) costs were nearly 40% lower. That’s a lot of savings back to your pocket. Or rather, that’s a lot of money you didn’t have to spend.
The study was performed by Richard L. Liliedahl, MD and colleagues, and they were formally published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.
Low back pain is a significant public health problem. Up to 85 percent of Americans have back pain at some point in their lives. In addition to its negative effects on employee productivity, back pain treatment accounts for about $50 billion annually in health care costs—making it one of the top 10 most costly conditions treated in the United States.
Patients in this BCBS study did not have limits to the number of visits allowed nor were there any differences in co-pays between the medical doctor (MD) and the doctor of chiropractic (DC) group. The insured had open access to DC’s or MD’s without any gatekeeper referral required.
This study estimated that if patients who sought medical care would have instead gone chiropractors first, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee would have saved nearly $2.3 million.
American Chiropractic President Rick McMichael, DC commented on the findings, “As doctors of chiropractic, we know first hand that our care often helps patients avoid or reduce more costly interventions such as drugs and surgery. This study supports what we see in our practices every day.” “It also demonstrates the value of chiropractic care at a critical time, when our nation is attempting to reform it’s health care system and contain runaway costs.”
If you would like to start saving money today on your healthcare costs, call us at (706) 814-5053 to set up a complimentary consultation. If we can’t help you, we will refer you to someone to can.
Georgia Clinic of Chiropractic is conveniently located off Furys Ferry Rd in Martinez, Georgia and provides quality chiropractic care to the Augusta, Martinez, and Evans communities. To schedule an appointment, call (706) 814-5053 or schedule an appointment online at www.georgia-clinic.com.
