How to get a chiropractic referral?
If denied a referral, how can you get around system, etc.?

Chiropractic services are part of the standard medical benefits package available to all veterans.

VA facilities can choose to provide chiropractic care in two ways:

• By having an on-site chiropractic clinic
• By sending veterans to a private chiropractor using the "fee-basis" approach where the VA pays the bill

Currently there are 40 VA facilities with chiropractic clinics. Over the past years thousands of veterans have received chiropractic care at VA clinics as well as through the fee-basis procedure.

Many VA primary care providers are routinely discussing chiropractic care as an option with their patients. If your PCP has not discussed this with you, bring it up and explain why you think chiropractic treatment can be a good option for your particular problem.

The following are reasons to consider chiropractic treatment, and some of these may apply to you:

• I have tried it before and it worked for me
• I have a friend or relative with similar problems and chiropractic care helped them
• I prefer to avoid unnecessary pain medication for my problem
• Chiropractic treatments such as spinal manipulation have as much scientific evidence as NSAIDs, opiods, muscle relaxants and exercise for managing back pain
• Chiropractic treatments such as spinal manipulation are part of current VA/DoD guidelines on treating back pain

Remember that chiropractic services are part of your standard VA benefits and no VA facility can tell you that they "do not provide" chiropractic care. Some veterans have found that their VA is very reluctant to send them for fee-basis chiropractic care, and have required that they jump through many hoops to get a referral for chiropractic. This is against VA policy and does not go along with VA's own stated mission to be "veteran-centered."

You should be very concerned if your PCP refers you for fee-basis chiropractic care and someone else at the facility denies that referral. Many times the VA facility is trying to save money by denying fee-basis chiropractic care, even though they spend a lot of money on other treatments and high salaries for the medical center directors.

If you suspect that you were unfairly denied chiropractic care you should make a complaint with the patient advocate at your facility.

If that is not successful you should bring it to the attention of a VSO such as VFW, Wounded Warrior Project or others. The more veterans that make this known, the more likely it is that positive change will occur.

The VA determines healthcare eligibility based on a number of factors, including the type and extent of military injuries, military service and a Veteran's financial status. Click Here to learn more about VA Healthcare Eligibility.