Does My Insurance Cover Acupuncture? Here’s How To Find Out

One of the most common questions we hear at NJ Acupuncture Center is:

“Does my insurance cover acupuncture?”

The answer is: it might! More insurance plans than ever are offering acupuncture benefits, especially for pain management, stress-related conditions, migraines, orthopedic issues, and overall wellness support. But understanding your coverage can sometimes feel confusing if you’re not familiar with insurance terminology or where to look.

The good news? You do not have to figure it out alone.

Here’s a simple guide to help you understand your acupuncture benefits and how our office can help make the process easier.

Step 1: Check Your Insurance Benefits

The fastest way to find out if acupuncture is covered is to look at your insurance policy details or call the member services number on the back of your insurance card.

When reviewing your policy, look for words or phrases like:

• Acupuncture

• Alternative medicine

• Complementary care

• Pain management benefits

• Physical medicine services

• Outpatient therapy

• Specialist visits

Some plans fully cover acupuncture, while others may cover a certain number of visits per year or require a copay.

Important Insurance Terms To Know

Insurance language can feel overwhelming, so here are a few common terms that may help:

Copay

This is the fixed amount you pay for each visit. For example, your plan may cover acupuncture with a $20 or $40 copay.

Deductible

This is the amount you may need to pay out-of-pocket before insurance begins covering services.

Coinsurance

Instead of a flat copay, some plans split costs with you after the deductible is met. For example, insurance may cover 80% while you pay 20%.

In-Network vs. Out-of-Network

Some acupuncture offices are considered “in-network” providers with certain insurance plans, while others may offer out-of-network benefits that can still reduce your costs.

Visit Limits

Certain plans only cover a set number of acupuncture visits annually.

Questions To Ask Your Insurance Company

If you call your insurance provider directly, here are helpful questions to ask:

• Does my plan include acupuncture benefits?

• Do I need a referral from my doctor?

• Is acupuncture covered for my condition?

• Are there visit limits?

• What is my copay or coinsurance?

• Have I met my deductible?

• Do I have out-of-network acupuncture benefits?

Writing down the answers can help you better understand your coverage before booking your appointment.

We Can Help You Check Your Benefits

At NJ Acupuncture Center, we know insurance can feel complicated. That’s why our team is happy to help guide you through the process.

If you’d like help verifying your benefits, you can simply:

• Call our office

• Text us a photo of your insurance card

• Reach out through our website contact form

Our team can often help determine whether your plan includes acupuncture coverage and explain what your benefits may look like before your first visit.

Don’t Let Insurance Confusion Stop You From Getting Support

Many people delay care simply because they assume acupuncture is not covered—but that’s not always the case. More employers and insurance providers are recognizing the benefits of acupuncture as part of a preventative, whole-body approach to health.

Whether you’re seeking supp

ort for pain, stress, sleep issues, migraines, burnout, hormonal changes, or overall wellness, acupuncture may be more accessible than you think.

At NJ Acupuncture Center, we’re here to help make the process simple so you can focus less on insurance stress and more on feeling better.

One Woman Shares How She Beat Her Migraines with Acupuncture

If you’re one of the million Americans who, unfortunately, suffer from migraines — you’re not alone. We know how desperate you might be to find some relief, and we’re happy to say we can help.

But, don’t just take our word for it. Meet Samantha Fletcher, who recently told the Daily Mail all about her struggles, and how she found relief through acupuncture.

Struggling since age 13, Fletcher said, “the migraines were mild and rare at first, but they became frequent and unmanageable. Two years ago, at the age of 26, I was having two a week.”

Despite medications and other traditional approaches to find relief, she then decided to give acupuncture a try.

She describes her thoughts during her first treatment saying, “I lay there for half an hour, then she returned to the room, took them out and sent me on my way. To my surprise, the next week was the first in years when I didn’t have a migraine. Had I found something that worked, or was it a fluke?”

It most definitely wasn’t a fluke.

Going once a week for several months that followed, Fletcher says, “I would leave feeling calm and less tense — and I had only two migraines in nine months while having acupuncture.”

Fletcher concluded, “Without the migraines, I have more energy, I feel happier, I can exercise again and it’s much easier to work. Skeptics may say it’s just the placebo effect — but I don’t mind if it is.”

We believe in the healing powers of acupucnture. If you’re struggling with migraines, let us help.

Acupuncture for Alcoholism? It Works for Rats!

Adding to the long list of ailments and disorders acupuncture helps to treat? Alcoholism.

Well, at least in rats it does — which is at the very least, a bit promising for humans, too.

A recent article in Gizmodo reports, that in both the United States and Korea, researchers forced rats to be addicted to alcohol and then tried to help with their withdrawal symptoms by utilizing traditional acupuncture. The result? A success.

While this doesn’t mean acupuncture can cure alcoholism in humans, even knowing it helped with withdrawal is positive.

Published this past Wednesday in Science Advances, a control group of rats were not addicted to alcohol while the experimental group were trained to use a lever that fed them water mixed with alcohol. In 16 days, they were hooked. On Day 17, they were not given alcohol for two hours and began to experience typical withdrawal symptoms including tremors and anxiety.

Acupuncture treatment was given at the Shen Men or Heart 7 point, located on the wrist.

The authors of the study, “found that the alcohol-dependent rats given acupuncture at HT7 were less likely to experience withdrawal symptoms than those not given it; they also fed themselves less alcohol when they later had the opportunity to do so.”

Furthermore, based on research conducted separately form this experiment, the same researchers also theorized that, “HT7 could treat alcohol dependence by affecting neurons in the brain that produce beta endorphins, a natural opioid and “feel-good” chemical. Beta endorphins likely play an important role in alcohol dependence.”

Interestingly, the rats who received acupuncture at the HT7 point, “seemed to have their levels of beta endorphins rebound during withdrawal, specifically because of neurons activated in the hypothalamus, a region linked to alcohol dependence. “

The conclusion?

“These results suggest that acupuncture may provide a novel, potential treatment strategy for alcohol use disorder by direct activation of the brain pathway,” the authors wrote.

While there is a lot more work and research to be done, this is a promising finding and we hope research continues to be supported to find out how else acupuncture can help.