Insurance Info
Below you will find helpful information about insurance coverage, accident treatments, and a checklist of questions to ask your insurance company.
IS ACUPUNCTURE COVERED BY MY INSURANCE?
Acupuncture treatment is covered by many in-state health insurance policies. Laurie Solomon is contracted with many insurance companies, and will bill for you if your plan carries acupuncture coverage. Since 1996, Washington State law has required that all insurance companies providing coverage in this state must carry a plan that covers acupuncture. Call your carrier to find out about your plan coverage. Ask how many acupuncture visits you are covered for, and what your copay and deductible is. If your plan doesn’t cover acupuncture, ask why it doesn’t! By letting your doctors and insurance companies know of your positive results from receiving acupuncture therapy, we can exert the kind of support and pressure which drives decision-making…
IS ACUPUNCTURE COVERED BY MY INSURANCE?
Acupuncture treatment is covered by many in-state health insurance policies. Laurie Solomon is contracted with many insurance companies, and will bill for you if your plan carries acupuncture coverage. Since 1996, Washington State law has required that all insurance companies providing coverage in this state must carry a plan that covers acupuncture. Call your carrier to find out about your plan coverage. Ask how many acupuncture visits you are covered for, and what your copay and deductible is. If your plan doesn’t cover acupuncture, ask why it doesn’t! By letting your doctors and insurance companies know of your positive results from receiving acupuncture therapy, we can exert the kind of support and pressure which drives decision-making…
United Healthcare (UHC)
Regence:
Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield: Most plans will cover acupuncture, although each state and employer agreement will vary. MedAdvantage plans can also vary, and Part C plans usually cover acupuncture, and Part B plans usually don’t.
Veteran’s Administration
The Veteran’s Administration covers Acupuncture, Chiropractic and often Massage when the veteran has a referral from the Community Care Network for any of these covered services. This clinic is contracted to provide acupuncture services to veterans who have a referral from their VA Primary Care Practitioner (PCP) or Specialist Provider.
"Worker Comp" (L&I)
Workers Comp (L&I): This clinic is now able to provide care for folks with Washington L&I claims but ONLY for work-related Low Back Pain or Migraines.
Oregon, Idaho, and Montana L&I injuries continued to be covered with authorization as they were before.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Auto accident-related injuries do not require a referral. Also, PIP (Personal Injury Protection) insurance covers acupuncture treatment 100% for the driver, passenger, or other people directly involved in a motor vehicle collision.
If your PIP (Personal Injury Protection) is still active, then your auto insurance is billed directly by the clinic. If the PIP has been exhausted, or you chose to refuse to have PIP coverage, then this clinic needs to either wait for payment until your claim is settled, or else your private health insurance can be billed directly, regardless of who the at-fault driver was.
Feel free to call and ask about this, and I am happy to steer you in the direction of experienced legal advice, should you have a need for that type of information.
Insurance Contracts:
Update 2025
Kaiser Self-Referred CHP, and also with an Authorization
Regence: Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Anthem, Premera and Lifewise:
Be sure check if your policy covers acupuncture; Some out-of-state Employer-funded or Union-funded plans do not.
—Regence FEP (Federal Employees Plan)
—Regence SEBB and PEBB
Molina Apple Health of Washington
Molina Exchange policies of Washington:
–Molina Apple Health (Medicaid) policies do not cover acupuncture. There is an option offered annually to choose Complementary Health Plans of Washington (CHPW) Medicaid instead of Apple Health.
CHPW does cover acupuncture, and this clinic is in the CHPW network.
Call Washington State Health Plan Finder (800-562-3022) to ask if it’s possible to switch plans outside of the open-enrollment period.
ACN/Optum
Aetna
APWU postal workers
EBMS
First Choice Health
First Health Network
Pacific Source – Commercial Plans only (not MedAdvantage)
Providence
UMR
This clinic is not in network with Humana or Cigna or Health Net
Cigna members usually have out-of-network benefits, so a superbill will be provided for the patient to submit to Cigna for reimbursement.
Humana plans generally do not have out of network benefits, and neither do Health Net plans.
USAA; It is still unknown whether their MedAdvantage policies cover acupuncture in this clinic.
This list is not all-inclusive.
Also, if your deductible “applies” to/for acupuncture therapy, and if your deductible has not been met at
the time when you come in for acupuncture therapy, then the “allowed” amount of the billed charges that
your insurance company applies toward your deductible will be the member’s responsibility to the
Starfire Herbs & Acupuncture clinic.