Can My Tampa Car Accident Attorney Help Me Get Insurance Coverage for Acupuncture Treatment?

Many people prefer and believe in the effectiveness of alternative medical treatments such as acupuncture. Although acupuncture has been used in Eastern societies for hundreds of years, only recently has acupuncture gained acceptance in the United States. People injured as a result of car accidents in Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and other cities in Pasco County, often ask their Tampa auto accident lawyer whether these alternative treatments will be paid for by their personal injury protection auto accident insurance (PIP).

The answer to this interesting question is yes with several important caveats and considerations. One is that someone injured in a Tampa auto accident should not rely solely upon acupuncture to solve their injuries. For several reasons that will be discussed in this article, it is best to make acupuncture a part of your overall treatment plan. One reason is that an insurance company is more likely to pay for acupuncture when it is recommended and supervised by another medical provider. Second, while acupuncture is often thought of as a solution for resolving pain, it is not generally considered a solution to resolve the underlying cause of that pain. Receiving treatments from both a medical provider such as a chiropractor or an orthopedic doctor, along with receiving relief from an acupuncturist, can both potentially resolve the underlying issue while healing the inflammation that causes discomfort and pain. This one‐two punch may be the right combination to treat your injuries and get your life back to normal as soon as possible.

In addition, if the acupuncturist is not able to immediately resolve the underlying medical conditions or symptoms, continued treatment by medical professionals may be jeopardized if the person injured in a car accident has been only by an acupuncturist. The insurance company may become very skeptical of paying for the treatment of any injury that the acupuncturist either didn’t treat for or may not have documented as a problem. Often a medical doctor or chiropractor trained in treating auto accident injuries is better able to make sure that all the injuries are well documented in the medical records so that later an insurance company will be less likely to deny the claim.

In addition, if a demand is submitted to the insurance company by your Tampa personal injury lawyer and you received only treatment by an acupuncturist, this can create significant problems to the resolution of your claim. Without documentation and treatment from a medical doctor, the insurance company adjuster may not take your claim seriously. This is because insurance company adjusters know that should the case ever be heard by a jury, there'll be enough skepticism among the jury pool that your claim can be seriously jeopardized. Also, insurance adjusters are more likely to be conservative in nature and not appreciate the benefits that an acupuncturist can provide.

If you would like to receive treatment for your car accident injuries from an acupuncturist, it is best that you speak with a Tampa car accident attorney who can give you advice about how to receive and have such treatment paid for without jeopardizing your health or your ability to receive adequate compensation for your injuries. Contact us to speak with a personal injury attorney about your right to receive medical treatment from the provider that you want and have the insurance company pay.