Why You Still Need Health Insurance Even If You Rely on Alternative Treatments

Let’s be honest—costs for conventional healthcare are flat-out ridiculous.

The average cost of an emergency room visit is $1,233. This is exactly why the ER should not be your first point of contact when it comes to getting health services. Seeing a primary care doctor is less expensive and can offer you preventative services.

However, working with alternative treatments is even cheaper. While you might only pay $300 for alternative treatments that would cost you $15,000 or more in conventional medicine for the same problem, some health insurance companies are still refusing to pay these costs.

Why?

There’s no real answer to that question. Treatments that aren’t conventional are considered to not work, when it fact—if done correctly—can be much more effective at treating your problem.

So why do you still need health insurance if you rely solely on alternative treatments?

Lower Costs for Hospital Bills

If you’ve ever been in the hospital for an emergency stay, the diagnosis of an illness, etc., you know how scary high these medical bills can be. 

People who don’t have health insurance are often forced into bankruptcy when they get saddled with high medical bills from necessary treatment.

When you have health insurance, insurance companies can help lower your bill by up to 50% because they negotiate with the hospitals on costs. After your deductible, you’ll likely be looking at a much lower hospital bill. Whew.

“But I don’t go to the hospital!” You say. 

You can and will go to the hospital if you’ve been involved in a terrible accident that renders you unconscious. You will be unable to say, “No, don’t take me there! Call my herbalist.”

Trust me. It happens. 

Focus on Preventative Services

Skipping the ER can not only save you money and time but aggravation and dangerous drugs as well.

 Seeing a primary care doctor or another qualified natural healthcare professional such as a naturopath, herbalist, or integrative health doctor can help you avoid emergency room visits whenever possible. These checkups cost significantly less than the ER and often focus on preventative services. Best of all, at least part of these services can be covered by insurance companies.

People are paying billions of dollars out-of-pocket for alternative treatments. To be more specific, people age 4 and older are paying $30.2 billion every year out-of-pocket for integrative and alternative treatments in addition to natural care products like supplements.

These billions of dollars help people focus on preventative care in addition to treatment for specific ailments. That extraordinary number likely isn’t going to convince you to still have health insurance when these companies don’t cover your expenses. 

However, with the demand for natural healthcare growing, more insurance companies are getting on board with their healthcare plans to help cover your costs for alternative treatments.

More Insurance Companies Are Covering Alternative Treatments 

Being informed about your health insurance plan can help you be prepared for what services will be covered and what won’t. It’s frustrating thinking your costs will be reimbursed only to find your claims denied.

Fortunately for those of us participating in alternative treatments, there is hope. Increasing numbers of insurance companies are covering alternative treatments for patients. These treatments include chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture as the top three. Naturopathy is also close behind in being covered by these plans. 

Choosing a healthcare plan that works best for you when it comes to alternative treatments is vital to getting the most out of your health insurance. This involves asking your insurance company questions to be clear about policies as well as asking your doctor or herbalist how they can help you afford their services. 

Solely relying on alternative medicine is an excellent choice for many people. However, heaving a healthcare plan in the event of emergencies or hospital visits is crucial to receiving affordable care when needed. Having an insurance provider that helps to cover some of your alternative treatment costs can marry the two and you can have comprehensive care with minimal out-of-pocket costs!