Does Medicare cover chiropractic services?

Yes, Medicare Part B covers chiropractic services but with limited coverage.

Part B covers the manual manipulation, also called an adjustment, of the spine when it’s considered medically necessary to correct a subluxation. This spinal misalignment occurs when one or more bones in your back are out of position. Medicare has no limit to the number of visits to a licensed chiropractor for this purpose.

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Part B only covers treatment for an acute or chronic spinal condition that a chiropractor or other qualified provider performs on an outpatient basis. Acute conditions generally develop suddenly and last for a short time. Chronic conditions develop slowly and can get worse over time.

However, Part B doesn’t cover maintenance care, continued chiropractic care after the spine has been realigned or chiropractic treatments to other parts of the body.

How much does a chiropractic visit cost under Medicare?

If you’ve already paid your annual Part B deductible, which is $240 in 2024, you pay 20 percent of the cost of a Medicare-approved chiropractor visit. If you have a private Medicare supplement policy, also known as Medigap, that policy will cover all or part of the 20 percent Part B coinsurance cost.

What other chiropractic services doesn’t Medicare cover?

While Medicare will cover the cost of a physician-ordered X-ray that’s needed to validate that a spinal subluxation requires treatment, it won’t cover an X-ray ordered from a chiropractor. That’s a key difference to be aware of. If a chiropractor orders, takes or interprets an X-ray or another diagnostic test, Medicare won’t cover it.

In addition, Medicare doesn’t cover other services or tests that a chiropractor orders, such as massage therapy and acupuncture — unless the acupuncture is for treatment of chronic low back pain.