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Frequently Asked Questions
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Jump to answers about:
Active Release Technique
Chiropractic
Payments and Insurance
Massage Therapy
Hours of Operation
Online Bill Payment
Download Clinic Forms
Active Release Technique
What is Active Release Technique (A.R.T.)?
- Active Release is a patented manual hands-on therapy that corrects soft
tissue problems and injuries. Muscles, tendons, fascia and nerves can
all benefit from this therapy. Many types of injuries are treated using
this technique. Some of the specific injuries that are treated include
repetitive strains, nerve compression, muscle pain and joint dysfunction.
- The ART® practitioner finds the exact tissue that is injured or
causing the problem and then physically works that tissue back to its
normal texture, tension and length.
- The ART® practitioner also finds muscles and other tissues that
have developed adhesions within or between them. An adhesion, which is
basically like scar tissue that builds up between the muscle layers, can
act like a glue restricting the normal sliding motions of the various
tissue layers. ART® is used to break apart these adhesions and allow
the muscles and nerves to move freely once again. Restoring proper nerve
and muscle movement allows the body to perform at its most efficient level.
- The manual technique used by the ART® provider is not invasive,
it is very specific, and provides excellent results.
How many treatments will I need with ART® to get better?
- The best thing about ART is that if it is going to work it will usually
work quite quickly. Usually a patient will see significant results within
just a few visits
typically reaching resolution within 4 to 6 visits.
However, the actual time to become fully healed will differ between each
patient. A good rule of thumb is that the more chronic or severe the problem
is the more treatments you will need to reach resolution.
Is ART® like a massage?
- ART is hands on like a massage but is a very specific method that utilizes
patient motions. Massage can be very beneficial if done by a good provider
as well though. Due to the differences between the techniques, we will
sometimes combine ART with massage methods done by one of our certified
massage therapists, or with other myofascial release techniques.
Do the doctors at Active Body Chiropractic have much experience doing
ART?
- All of our doctors are full body certified ART providers and have taken
Master's courses in ART.
- Dr. Heddles and Dr. Drynan are also Biomechanics certified and Elite
Provider Network certified practitioners of ART.
- Dr. Heddles and Dr. Drynan have been practicing ART for more than 10
years.
- Dr. Verchota has been doing ART for more than 3 years and has a great
natural touch and intuition with the technique.
Do ART treatments hurt?
- The treatments are very deep and can be intense, but most people find
that they actually feel good.
- Treatments are always done to the tolerance level of each individual
to maximize their benefit in the quickest possible time-frame.
What kinds of things can ART help?
- ART is great at helping hundreds of different soft tissue problems throughout
the body. The doctors have treated muscle and nerve injuries in all regions
of the body. Whether it's a nerve impingement in your arm (such as Carpal
Tunnel Syndrome), a chronic tension headache, or Plantar Fascitis
ART
can help it.
Chiropractic Care
What type of treatments do the chiropractors do at Active Body Chiropractic?
- All of the chiropractic physicians at our clinic use traditional chiropractic
manipulations of the joints. These manipulations or 'adjustments' help
restore normal joint function throughout the spine and body.
- The actual adjusting technique used by our chiropractors is 'Diversified
Technique'
- All of our chiropractors combine their adjusting techniques with ART®
and other techniques
Isn't it dangerous to get your 'bones cracked', especially in the
neck region?
- Chiropractic manipulations are extremely safe and incredibly effective
at relieving pain. Our doctors are very specific in the joints they target
to improve joint motion and they use the minimum force necessary to achieve
the adjustments.
- A good example that shows the safety of Chiropractic manipulations is
by looking at the malpractice insurance levels that chiropractors pay
compared to other medical providers. The malpractice insurance companies
make providers pay premiums based on how risky the procedures are that
they perform and those companies are very effective at measuring the risks
associated with procedures. Chiropractors pay the lowest malpractice insurance
of any medical providers
they only pay around a quarter of
what the average Dentist pays!
What exactly is that 'cracking noise' when someone gets manipulated
by a chiropractor?
- The chiropractor finds the joints that are not moving correctly in your
spine and then uses a gentle manipulation to restore normal joint motion.
That 'popping or cracking' noise is simply the sound of the pressure being
released from a joint that is being moved. It is similar to a champagne
bottle being opened
there is a lot of pressure in there and when
the pressure is released it makes a little 'popping' noise.
Where did the Chiropractors at Active Body go to school and receive
their training?
- Dr. Drynan and Dr. Heddles are graduates of the National University
of Health Sciences (formerly the National College of Chiropractic) in
Lombard, Illinois. Dr. Verchota is a graduate of Palmer Chiropractic College
in Davenport, Iowa.
Payments and Insurance
What is the cost of treatment at Active Body Chiropractic?
- The cost of treatment depends on the services that are rendered that
day and whether the patient is self-paying, using their health insurance,
or has been in a personal injury case involved with either an automobile
or litigation. Please see which of the following sections below best describe
your circumstances within our payment policies and :
PAYMENT POLICIES:
Self-Paying Patients and our Time of Service Discount:
Active Body Chiropractic is pleased to offer EVERYONE (both insured and
uninsured) a time of service discount. Our time of service discount is
a 25% discount off of our standard insurance fee schedule. This discount
is available to any and all patients making payment at the time of service.
Payment can be made via check, cash or credit card. There are many administrative
costs and extra tasks that must be completed when processing insurance
claims. A patient paying at the time of service greatly lessens this workload
which allows us to pass a significant savings on to both the patient and
their insurance company. If you are choosing to utilize this plan you
will need to agree to and sign our Time of Service Discount Program
Agreement form (ask receptionist for this). Please click
here to see our Time of Service Discount program page for details.
Synopsis of Common Insurance Companies (for details see below):
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Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
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In Network
We accept assignment
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Cigna
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In Network
We accept assignment
(*note: The State of IL Cigna plan is notorious
for denying payment without cause and delaying payment for many
months. If you have State Cigna be warned that you will be responsible
for the bill if Cigna denies or inordinately delays payment.)
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PHCS / Multiplan Network
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In Network
We accept assignment
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Medicare
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Medicare is a special case...
please read below!
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Humana
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Out of Network
We do NOT accept assignment
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Aetna
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Out of Network
We do NOT accept assignment
(We recently dropped from this network. For
an explanation as to why click HERE.)
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United Health Care
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Out of Network
Usually we do not accept assignment but
we may accept assignment for certain United plans.
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All other PPO or HMO plans
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Out of Network
We do NOT accept assignment
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- NOTE:
- 'In' or 'Out' of network refers to whether Active Body has a signed
agreement with the respective company.
- 'Accepting Assignment' means that we would accept direct payment
from an insurance company. A patient is only responsible for a copay
at the time of service if we accept assignment. If we do not accept
assignment payment is due in full at the time of service.
Out-of-Network Insurance:
If you have insurance coverage where we are not an in-network provider,
you can contact your insurance company to see if they will reimburse you
for visiting an out of network provider. As a general policy, we do not
accept assignment from out-of-network insurance companies (we do make
exceptions for certain United Health Care plans). This means that you
will be responsible for providing payment at the time of service and ABC
can assist you in submitting these charges to your insurance company for
direct reimbursement. ABC can provide a superbill with diagnosis and procedure
codes directly to you for claim submission. Alternatively, ABC can send
all claim forms directly to your out-of-network third party payer on your
behalf for a one time setup fee of $10. This is the extent of the aid
ABC can be expected to give in helping to bill any out-of-network insurance
company. If ABC is required to spend any time or effort in the future,
in any manner, to assist in the reimbursement process other than submitting
a claim or providing a superbill, an additional compensation must be paid
by the patient to ABC. Compensation for the additional times spent are
at the rate of $25 per hour and $1 per page for medical record printing.
In-Network Insurance:
ABC is currently in-network with Blue Cross Blue Shield (PPO),
Cigna, and Multiplan/PHCS affiliates. We are also in-network
with Medicare but this is a special case (see Medicare section below).
We will make a copy of your card and collect any CO-pay that is due. We
will submit your claims and assist you in any way we reasonably can to
help ensure that those claims are paid. Your insurance company may need
you to supply certain information to them directly. It is your responsibility
to comply with their requests. After hearing back from your insurance
company, we will send you a statement if there is a balance that we are
entitled to collect. We strongly advise that you contact your insurance
company to discuss your benefit coverage for chiropractic services (such
as CPT code 98941) and physical medicine services (such as CPT 97110).
Knowing your insurance benefits is your responsibility. Insurance coverage
for these services varies greatly from plan to plan. We are always happy
to help you in determining your coverage but ABC cannot be held responsible
if ultimately the insurance does not pay for services or provides the
clinic with false benefit information. Please be aware that some insurance
companies require pre-certification for chiropractic care and some may
also require a referral from your primary care physician.
*Insurance Deductibles and Co-Payments:
A deductible is a prearranged dollar amount on your insurance
plan that you must pay out of pocket before your insurance benefits take
effect. Your insurance company will instruct us when to bill you for this
by patient statement. A CO-pay is a payment that ABC is required
to collect at the time of service. These arrangements are part of your
contract with your insurance company. Failure on our part to collect co-payments
and deductibles from patients can be considered medical fraud and thus
payment of these is expected in a timely manner.
*Medicare:
Medicare patients have very limited insurance coverage at ABC. Medicare
does not cover or pay for initial exams even though they require by law
that these procedures are performed prior to the beginning of care. Medicare
ONLY PAYS FOR CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS to the spine and NOTHING ELSE.
You will be required to pay for any non-covered services (such as Exams,
ART, Graston, Myofascial Release) but you are entitled to the time of
service discount we offer all patients for these services. We do accept
assignment for the chiropractic portion of your visit (covered at 80%)
but all other services will need to be paid at the time of service. Medicare
supplemental insurance may cover the other 20% of the covered Medicare
charge but will still not cover Medicare non-covered procedures. If you
have a true secondary insurance you may have coverage for other Medicare
non-covered procedures though you should be aware that most people do
NOT have secondary insurance, supplemental insurance is the much more
common type.
*Insurance Non-covered Services and Payment Denial:
Please be aware that depending on the rules outlined by your insurance
company, some and perhaps all of the services you receive
at our clinic may not be covered or deemed medically necessary. ABC has
no way to control this type of judgment by your insurance company. You
are responsible for payment of these services and are expected to pay
for them in full.
*Insurance and Wellness / Maintenance Care:
Please note that insurance companies may not pay for wellness / maintenance
care. Insurance companies only want to pay for a limited amount of your
acute treatment visits with a symptomatic diagnosis. Insurance may also
deem care to be unnecessary if therapy is not progressing at what they
consider to be a satisfactory rate and will label this as maintenance
care. In this case you are entitled to our Time of Service discount if
your insurance company refuses payment. You may speak to our billing manager
about this.
Collection Process for Non-Payment:
Please be aware that if your account is over 90 days due, and if we have
sent more than 3 bills with no response from you, your account will be
subject to an in-house review. If at that time satisfactory payment arrangements
have not been established, your account may be forwarded to a collection
agency. At that point, any further appointment scheduling will not be
allowed until the collection balance is paid in full.
Missed Appointments:
We reserve the right to charge for missed appointments that are not canceled
within 24 hours of the time of treatment. We utilize a 3 strikes
policy on late cancellations and 2 strikes policy on no-shows:
on the third late cancellation in less than 24 hours or on the second
no-shows you may be charged. These charges will be your responsibility
and will be billed directly to you (insurance does not cover missed appointments).
Currently our missed appointment charge is $50 PER HALF HOUR OF SCHEDULED
TIME. (i.e. missing a half hour massage and a half hour slot of time with
a doctor will incur a $100 missed appointment fee). Missed appointment
fees must be paid prior to continuing therapy at ABC. If you miss your
first appointment, depending on the circumstances we may require a credit
card to pay in advance for your next rescheduled appointment. We are understanding
and do make concessions for special circumstances. Please help us to serve
you better by keeping your regularly scheduled appointment.
Insufficient Funds Checks:
Our policy is to attempt to secure funds from all checks written to us.
If they fail then we will charge the patient the fees that were incurred
by that check bouncing. If we are not contacted within 3 weeks of a check
bouncing, we reserve the right to forward the account on to a collection
agency in order to procure payment.
If my insurance company refuses payment, what happens?
- We will gladly work with you and your insurance company to try to rectify
any problems that arise.
- If ultimately the insurance company does not pay,
however, you are responsible for your medical bills at Active Body.
I was in an auto-accident; do you take personal injury (PI) cases?
- We do accept certain personal injury cases and will gladly work with
your lawyer and/or insurance company to attain payment for our services.
I was in a work related injury; do you accept worker's comp cases?
- We do accept certain workers compensation cases. Contact us to find
out more.
Massage Therapy
What about massage therapy, how much does that cost?
- Our massage therapists charge $60 for a half hour and $105 for an hour.
Each additional half hour in a single session is another $45. We do also
have special rates for patients that combine a massage with a visit to
one of our doctors, ask the receptionist for more details.
Can I use my insurance to cover my massage?
- Depending on your insurance company and your benefits, you may have
coverage for massage. You must, however, first be a patient of one of
the clinic's chiropractors to be eligible since massage is only covered
if it is part of a therapeutic treatment plan. Ask one of our billing
specialists or one of our doctors about eligibility for coverage of massage
therapy.
What type of massage do the therapists utilize at Active Body?
- Our massage therapists are myofascial release specialists. They all
excel at therapeutic deep tissue and sports massage but can also do purely
relaxation massages as well. Each of their styles are very different but
all of them are deep. You will not be disappointed!
Clinic Hours
When is the clinic open?
- Currently our general weekly hours are as follows:
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Day of the Week:
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Opening Time
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Closing Time
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Monday:
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7 am
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7 pm
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Tuesday:
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11 am
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8 pm
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Wednesday:
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7 am
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6 pm
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Thursday:
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12 pm
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8 pm
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Friday:
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7 am
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6 pm
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Saturday:
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7 am
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3 pm
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Sunday:
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closed
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closed
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** PLEASE NOTE: Each doctor at our clinic has their
own specific hours that vary from these general clinic hours. Phones are
generally answered between 9 am and closing time. If you call before or
after those times we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Online Bill Payment
How does the online bill payment system work for paying
my Active Body medical bills?
- You can pay your Active Body bill directly through our Paypal account.
Our website will direct you to the Active Body Paypal account. Paying
your bill online through our website/Paypal is very quick, convenient
and secure. Enter your patient ID and press the 'click here to pay' button
and you will be transferred to a Paypal® secure server for the transaction.
Once there, just enter the amount you would like to pay and then choose
your payment method. To pay by credit card you can use your Mastercard,
Visa, American Express, or Discover card. If you have a Paypal® account
you can use that to make your direct payment as well.
What is my 'patient ID' number? Do I need this to make
a payment?
- Your patient ID is a 4 digit number listed on your bill that you received
in the mail. This is not critical to payment since you will be entering
your name with your payment on the Paypal website. However, if you have
the same name as another patient in our clinic it ensures we apply the
payment to the right person! (Don't worry, an error like this is easily
fixed later)
Do I have to have a Paypal® account to use the online
payment feature?
- No, you do not have to have a Paypal® account. If you wish to
pay by credit card you do not need to worry about a Paypal® account.
Does Active Body Chiropractic keep my credit card
information or other payment information?
- No, we do not see any of your private credit card information. The
only information that is sent to us is that you have made a payment in
a certain amount of dollars. Paypal.com is the only company that
deals with your credit card details. Paypal is considered to be one of
the most reliable internet financial transaction institutions and they
ensure the security of your information.
Are there any extra fees for using this feature?
- There are no extra fees. This is just a convenient and secure way
for patients to make a payment.
Clinic Forms
Can I download the forms I will need to fill out on my
first visit to fill them out ahead of time?
- Definitely! This will help to speed up your first visit.
DOWNLOAD
ACTIVE BODY INITIAL VISIT FORMS (PDF format)
**Note: You will
need Adobe Reader® to view this file.
If you need to install it click
here and follow the instructions.
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