For most of our services, payment is expected at time of service.  

 

Tips for massage therapists are appreciated; however, cannot be put on credit card - you may pay your therapist directly with cash or via Venmo.

 

Acupuncture Insurance Billing

 

We bill insurance companies for acupuncture sessions when there is coverage.

Patients assume responsibility for any charges not covered by their insurance as allowed by law.

 

Verifying Benefits

In-Network:

Stepping Stone Acupuncture & Wellness will verify benefits for patients for whom Stepping Stone Acupuncture & Wellness is an in-network provider with their insurance company, as well as Worker’s Compensation or Personal Injury claims.

 

If you would like to use insurance to pay for your acupuncture session, please contact our office at least 24 hours before your first appointment to give us your insurance information, so our biller has time to verify your coverage.

 

We are currently in-network providers with:

o Aetna

o Blue Cross Blue Shield/Anthem 

o BMC HealthNet

o Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

o Health Plans, Inc.

o Humana

o Mass General Brigham Health Plan

o Optum

o Tufts Health Plans; Tufts/Cigna Carelink Plans

o United Healthcare

o VA Community Care

o Wellsense

 

Please note that not all policies within these plans cover acupuncture. We will inform you as to whether or not you have acupuncture benefits on your plan.

 

Certain plans also only cover acupuncture for certain conditions. We will inform you of this information when we verify your benefits. It is up to you to determine whether your plan will cover the ailment(s) you are seeking treatment for.

 

Out-of-Network

For any insurance plans for which Stepping Stone Acupuncture & Wellness is not a contracted provider, it is the member’s responsibility to verify coverage. Please call the member services number located on the back of your card, and ask if you have “out-of-network acupuncture benefits.” If you do, please ask what your copay/co-insurance will be and if it is subject to deductible. 

• We can bill out-of-network to any other insurance plan that has out-of-network benefits, except for Cigna plans.
• We do not bill out-of-network secondary insurance, but can give you denial letters from your primary insurance to submit on your own.

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Billing & Receiving Payment

Stepping Stone Acupuncture & Wellness will submit your claim to your insurance for payment in a timely manner, usually within 7 days.

 

If our office receives a denial that we did not expect based on the verification of benefits, we will call the insurance company to identify the error and resubmit the claim if necessary, or to notify the patient promptly of the payment responsibility.

 

Certain insurance companies will not provide information about rejected claims to out-of-network providers. In this instance, it is the patient’s responsibility to pay and/or contact their insurance to have the issue resolved.

 

Invoices

You will be responsible for your co-pay at the time of your visit.

 

We will send you an invoice via email, for any remaining payments as determined by your insurance company (deductibles or co-insurance), and appreciate that you pay promptly – it is our policy to charge the card on file for any outstanding balances at the end of each month.

 

We can always tell you what we expect your insurance company will pay/what your responsibility will be, but this determination ultimately lies with your insurance company.

 

Disputed Claims

For disputed claims, we will follow-up with your insurance company one time. After that, the responsibility for payment – or for disputing the claim – falls to the patient/member. Payment – from the patient or the insurance company – is due to our office within 60 days from when the patient is notified of the denial. 

 

After 60 days we reserve the right to charge the patient's card on file for any outstanding balance.

 

Time of Service Discount

Stepping Stone Acupuncture & Wellness provides a discount for patients paying their bill at time of service. This discount does not, by law, apply to co-pays, co-insurance payments, or deductibles.

 

Superbills

We provide patients with a Superbill to submit to their insurance company on their own, upon request, if we are out-of-network. Patients should request the bill at the start of their appointment.

 

Superbills can also be submitted to Flex Spending and HSA Accounts.

 

*A Note About Medicare*

Unfortunately, are unable to bill to Medicare, even if you have been told that Medicare covers acupuncture. 

We are able to bill to some BCBS Medicare plans and Tufts Medicare Advantage plans for treatment of chronic low back pain only.

 

Billing Policies updated 3/31/24.