Pins and Needles: Part 1

There's an old joke.

A man says to his doctor, "Doctor, it hurts when I do this."
The doctor looks at the man and says, "Don't do that anymore. Pay the receptionist on the way out."

Except for it being a joke, my doctor and I had a similar conversation a couple weeks ago. I like my doctor; I even trust him. He's the kind of guy who, if he had to tell me I was dying, would do a good job of it. He knows not just my medical history, but other things I've not told anyone else. In our most recent visit, he said he would refer me to an acupuncturist, the same one he has seen. I'm not convinced that acupuncture is a valid treatment for the body, but if it deceives the body by working on the mind, I'd be happy.

So, today, I tried to find out if acupuncture is covered by my insurance plan, and I finally found it mentioned in the "Special Services" document. The insurance company itself is quite large and apparently negotiates quite well with the blood lab I frequent and the doctor I visit. The lab and the doctor will charge, oh, $150 for one thing or another, but the insurance company works that down by at least half, pays a portion of it, and leaves the remainder to me so that I can meet my deductible. Anyway. Reading what I could find about what my insurance plan does and does not covered, I found mention of acupuncture in a document titled "Special Services," but that it's a covered treatment if 2 things are true: the provider is licensed (I like that one), and the second...well, that's where I'm flummoxed. If I am reading the document correctly, the second "truth" is that I have to be treated for "chronic pain and nausea as a result of one of the following: chemotherapy, early pregnancy, and post-operative procedures."

In an attempt to find more, I sent an email to the contact listed on the insurance company's website, and I received a prompt acknowledgement of that email, but I may not receive an actual answer for up to 3 business days. If I get the answer my doctor and I both want, I'll then contact the licensed acupuncturist to see about seeing him. If I do not get the correct answer, I suppose I'll have to do nothing.

It's kind of a funny thing, this health insurance stuff. This "Special Services" document doesn't make clear what is or is not covered with acupuncture, but it is quite clear about hospice care's being covered at "90% of eligible expenses after satisfying the deductible." That's the kind of plain talk I can appreciate.