How to Find the Right Health Insurance for Your Back Pain

If you suffer from chronic back pain due to a herniated disc then you’ve likely considered a number of treatment options including back surgery and physical therapy (PT).

Both options, of course, cost time and money. While most health insurance plans will (at least partially) cover spine surgery like spinal fusion, microdiscectomy, and disc replacement, the amount they cover will vary. Determining which plans cover which kinds of PT, under what conditions, and at what price, may be even harder to discern. On top of that, different states have different requirements and different insurance companies offer a variety of plans.

All that to say…

It’s not always easy finding the right healthcare to cover your back pain needs

Thankfully, the internet makes this process easier by helping us determine which treatments and which health insurance plans may be the best fit for each of our specific needs.

Listed below are three different websites with health insurance comparisons to help you find the right coverage. As a “bonus”, we’ve even added two more websites to help you find the closest doctor or physical therapist who best suits your needs.

Top 3 Websites to Help You Compare Health Insurance Benefits

1. eHealth Insurance. It offers quotes for a number of different types of insurance and the interface is relatively straightforward. Click on the “health” tab and then answer about half a dozen questions including age, zip code, height, weight, and household income. You will eventually be given some health insurance options in your area to consider. You will have to navigate to the actual health insurance company websites for specifics.

2. Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports is the consummate shoppers guide offering reviews and comparisons for all variety of goods and services. Their health insurance page is pretty straightforward. Click on the drop down menus to choose your preferred plan type (HMO, PPO, etc.) and your state. It will display a list of clickable plans ranked in order of consumer satisfaction, treatment coverage for common conditions, and providing preventive services.

3. Healthcare.gov. Whether or not you think it’s a worthwhile government endeavor, it looks like the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (or “Obamacare”) will be around for a while. If you’re considering enrolling, then this is the website to hit. Upon entering your zip code, you will either be directed to your state government’s health insurance website or, if your state doesn’t have one, directly to the federal government’s health insurance website. Once there, you can find the plans that are available to you and easily compare them.

Now that you’ve found the right healthcare plan, you need to find the right provider!

When it comes to finding a good spine surgeon or physical therapist, patients have traditionally relied on their primary doctor’s recommendation or word of mouth from friends, family and colleagues. Once again, the internet can help you in your research. A quick Google search can often help locate a nearby provider. However, if you’re looking for a bit more information, you may want to check out Yelp or Zocdoc.

Find the Right Doctor with These 2 Websites

1. Yelp. Most people are already familiar with Yelp but if for some reason you’re not, jump on now. Yelp is a consumer-driven website that allows you to check out ratings and reviews for most any good or service – including surgeons and physical therapists. Just enter your hometown and type in what you’re looking for (eg. “spine surgery”, “discectomy”, “physical therapy”, etc.). A list of local practices will pop up within seconds. You can then sort these results by user rating and read reviews for more information. Some businesses even offer discounts and the ability to book directly through the Yelp. It couldn’t be easier!

2. ZocDoc. Similar to Yelp except it focuses exclusively on doctors and other health care services. Just enter the specialty you’re seeking and your hometown and Zocdoc will quickly produce a list of doctors or therapists along with consumer ratings. If you already have insurance, you may enter your provider’s name anytime to see which spinal surgeon or physical therapists are covered. ZocDoc shows available appointment windows for each office and you can book directly through the website.

As with any major healthcare choice, especially if you’ve been experiencing severe chronic back pain, it’s best to consult a doctor.

Seeking a second opinion on your back pain treatment?

Contact us or call us today at 855-377-4767