Chiropractic Care and New Year’s Resolutions

Chiropractic Care and New Years Resolutions

It’s been a whirlwind of a new year at Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic. We’ve been working really hard at better organizing our staff and our office to better host and treat patients. That is, we made it our new years resolution to be more accommodating, more friendly, and more transparent in our rendering of Chiropractic care in Baltimore City. We think that this will help us provide better care to those in need.

While it always a good idea if you are a patient to contact your insurance company and check if you are covered for a benefit/procedure, it’s been my experience that that rarely, if ever occurs. Typically a patient walks into an office, pays a copay, gets a procedure (in this care chiropractic care) and leaves. Weeks if not months pass by and then a patient gets the dreaded EOB (explanation of benefits) in the mail. They try and understand what additional money, if any, they owe. They either then do, or do not pay their required portion (as required by their insurance companies contract). Typically it is at this point in the exchange of money for healthcare services that patients feel confused and tricked. They often don’t understand if or why they owe additional money for a service they already received. It places a significant strain on the doctor/patient relationship.

While this is the way that most offices have been conducting business we have decided to make things easier. Prior to presenting for a new patient evaluation my staff will contact your insurance company on your behalf. By the time you arrive for your visit you will know your copay, your deductible, your coinsurance, and how much you should expect to pay out of pocket per visit. While this may be overwhelming (after all, you are coming to our office to feel better from headaches, neck pain, or back pain) we have found that many patients appreciate the open discussion. They would much rather know their “true cost” than get a letter in the mail down the road that surprises them, or that they are unable to pay. We believe that this up front transparency can help ease the tension associated with trying a new office for a first time.

Further, if someone is injured in a Baltimore auto accident and has suffered from whiplash, headaches, neck pain, and/or lower back pain, we need to only know your auto insurance carrier’s name (i.e. Nationwide, State Farm, Erie, Allstate, etc), policy number, date of birth and social security number. We can help to open a PIP claim on your behalf and have you receiving treatment for your Baltimore auto accident injury without any money out of pocket. Alternatively, if you have already opened a PIP claim followed your Baltimore auto accident, just supply us with a claim number and we can get you started receiving treatment right away.

We are making an effort to lessen the confusion surrounding payment for chiropractic services in the Baltimore area.

As far as new year’s resolutions are concerned – if you are a “resolutioner” and have decided to get back into shape or to get of of the couch here are some good tips:

1. Get clearance from your primary care provider – If you have serious health conditions check with your PCP first to make sure that it is safe for you to exercise.

2. Stretch – Don’t forget to stretch prior to engaging in exercises. You don’t want to overdue it and be out of service before you get started.

3. Set a routine – Whether you like to exercise in the morning or the evening, try and set a routine. After about 3 weeks of a new activity it becomes a habit. Habits are tough to break.

4. A journey of a thousand miles – It was once said that a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step. So start slow, maybe exercising 2-3 times per week and as you improve you can exercise longer or more times per week. The key is just starting.

5. If you have neck or back pain, come see your Baltimore city chiropractors Dr. Marc Gulitz and Dr. Erica Wise. We routinely treat patients with sports injuries, auto accidents, work related injuries, or other various types of headaches, neck pain, and back pain. We hope we don’t need to see you, but if you need us, we will be here.

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from Chiropractic care for headaches, neck pain, or back pain, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz