We get many calls every week from prospective patients who are looking for a chiropractor.  Many times, the first question folks have is, “how much is it going to cost?” That is a very legit question!  

As a Sacramento CA Chiropractor, I understand that healthcare is one of those fields where there tends to be very little price transparency for consumers. Sadly, when people go to the Emergency Room, for example, most of the time no one there can tell them what their bill will be before they go in.  Then they are flabbergasted when the bill comes in the mail weeks later for thousands of dollars for their quick exam, x-ray and ibuprofen! Many of us have had experiences in healthcare that leave a sour taste in our mouths.

The other legit question is, “how long is it going to take?”  Not only to be seen but to get better, right?   That is a tougher but also a very important question.  That is where seeing a well-respected, experienced professional is likely going to be your best bet.  
One of my good friends has owned a big sporting goods store for over 30 years. He once told me that in a retail business, “you have three things to offer: price, service, and quality. Pick two!” In other words, to make the business work, you usually can’t do all three. In his case, he offers great quality products and amazing service, but not the lowest prices. He’s more like REI than Big 5, and that is probably why he is so successful. He has a well-trained and qualified staff, they stand behind their products and their customers love them. Big 5 is also successful, but you’re probably not going to get the best quality gear and service when you shop there, but they do have low prices!  

In chiropractic, or in any healthcare setting, it’s kind of the same. You can’t do it all. We can offer some level of service, and some price.  

A provider may decide that their goal is to provide a great service. That is noble. Yet, being willing and ultimately able to provide genuine quality only comes with a great education, and the kind of expertise that only comes with time. In other words, most providers get better in time with their communication, examinations, diagnosing and treating. When you are being seen, a quality-minded doctor will also take the necessary time to get a detailed history of your problem, do the relevant examination procedures, take x-rays if necessary and then figure out if it is a chiropractic problem, and if so, determine what it will take to help.  Then he or she must explain all that and provide an excellent treatment, or “adjustment” in the case of a chiropractor.

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Our Philosophy in Sacramento CA

At Anderson Chiropractic, we have opted for the “genuine quality” strategy. Our fees are certainly not the lowest in town but are right at what is known in the healthcare business as the “benchmark.” If you look up the basic chiropractic 1-2 spinal region adjustment fee for an adjustment (the CPT code is 98940) on the website, www.fairhealthconsumer.com, for our zip code, 95821, it is $60. We charge $59 as of 9/1/2021.  In our office, we also have some packages that make the per-visit charge a little bit less and many patients appreciate those options.

To summarize, it is important to know the price of what you are getting into in healthcare. We make it easy for our self-pay patients, our first visit which includes a history, exam, 2 spinal x-rays and an adjustment if indicated is discounted to $97. We cannot offer this for Medicare, personal injury or work comp cases however.

The biggest consideration in my opinion, is not the “per-visit” fee but instead the quality and skill of the doctor. For example, I know that I can usually get my patients stable and pain-free a heck of a lot faster and better now after 25 years then I could 20 years ago. Though our “per-visit” fees have increased over the years with the cost of living, I think the total amount most people spend to get better is less in most cases now than when I started. What used to take 20 visits, is probably handled in 10. That, I believe is why over 80 percent of our new patients come by referral from a happy patient.

We also get many calls from prospective patients who wonder if we take “XYZ Insurance.”  While some companies have a chiropractic benefit, we are not “in-network” with any of them, except the Veteran’s Choice and Medicare Programs. Auto medical payments policies usually allow you to go to any provider and work out quite well.

Early in my career, I joined a few insurance panels and contracted with them. It did take long to realize it was a bad choice! They wanted us to literally beg for visits to be authorized with lots of reports, and then rarely approve more than a few visits and at a very low reimbursement level.  I decided I did not want to spend my time writing reports and begging for visits. I also realized that taking less than half of the normal “benchmark” fee for our area was not too wise for business, so I resigned from them all. I chose to spend my time providing genuine quality time caring for my patients and charging a reasonable fee.

So, next time you find yourself calling around for prices in healthcare, consider the big picture. In my opinion, look for an experienced provider and ask your friends and loved ones for a referral.  Quality matters. You deserve the best! One more example: Just this week I took some neck x-rays of a young lady new patient. One of the 3 x-rays is called the “AP Open Mouth.” We take the x-ray with the mouth wide open to get the teeth out of the way. This helps to better see the top two neck bones. In this case, I noticed 3 of her front teeth had root canals. I asked her about this as I suspected a trauma had occurred. Instead, I heard that she had gone to bad dentist who messed up with some fillings. Yikes. The badly performed dental work damaged her teeth and gums and she had to have much more invasive work done as a result.  

A bad adjustment from a less experienced chiropractor is probably only going to be ineffective and maybe sore, but not harmful, but bad dental work is for a lifetime!  

So be wise and look for quality when choosing a healthcare provider. You will often spend less in the short-term and the long term and be another happy referring patient!