FOR NEW PATIENT APPOINTMENTS :

Feel free to send in your insurance info to have your benefits pulled ahead of time!

You may text, email, or call with;

Your plan (ex: Highmark, Aetna, etc.),

Insurance Member ID Number,

& your Date of Birth.

(You can also just send a picture of the front & back of the insurance card with your date of birth)

We will get back to you regarding your benefits as quickly as possible so you can be as informed on your policy as possible.

It is also highly recommended to book a standard appointment about a week after the initial appointment to allow you better choices of the schedule rather than waiting to rebook until your initial appointment occurs.

CURRENT IN-NETWORK / ACCEPTED POLICIES

Aetna

( Meritain, Student, Better Health )

BlueCross BlueShield

( HighMark, Excellus, Horizon, Anthem (*some Anthem plans) )

Cigna (*ending participation in 2024 though as they rarely cover much of anything)

Self - Pay

Current Out-of-Network / Non-Accepted Policies:

Independence Policies

(any plan with Independence in the name is a closed network, I AM in-network w/ BCBS though.

a lot of IBX policies have the same in- & out- of network benefits though so it's worth checking)

Keystone First (Medicaid)

ALL United HealthCare Plans

Auto & Personal Injury Claims

MEDICARE:

Dr. Kat DOES NOT accept MEDICARE.

Medicare ONLY covers symptomatic treatment, no maintenance / feel good care... Even then, they ONLY cover spinal adjustments. They DO NOT cover the exam, history, extremity adjustments, massage, physiotherapy, stim, ultrasound, heat/cold packs, etc.. You cannot be seen by Dr. Kat if you have Medicare unless you sign 'Option 2' of the 'Medicare Advanced Beneficiary Form' & are seen for general care. This is very unfortunate for Medicare & hopefully changes to their policies come soon. Most patients with Medicare understand this concept of care already with previous providers; however, it is worth being stated.

• Upon arriving to the building & being greeted by Dr. Kat, you will be given Intake Paperwork to complete in the lounge where you can help yourself to the Beverage Bar with Water, Coffee, Tea, & Hot Chocolate.

• After completing paperwork, you will be taken back to the treatment room for a full History & Physical Evaluation; involving a pertinent neurological, orthopedic, & functional exam.

• If you are a candidate for care, Treatment can be performed after discussing what a general Care Goal is for you & what the recommended treatments would be given your subjective & objective complaint(s) & findings.

  • • Generally speaking, especially if this is your first experience with this type of care, your initial treatment tends to be more general & conservative with each progressing visit gaining more intensity with response to care.

• Each visit thereafter will involve a check-in with your known complaint(s) & anything new / different, & treatment based on your responses to the previous visit.

• Each Care Plan is subject to a Medical Necessity Review by Dr. Kat or by your specific insurance carrier policy (whichever comes first).  In general, this occurs; 

  • • after a month of treatment duration

    • if you have not been seen in over a month (not due to specifically being scheduled that way)

    • with new complaint(s)

    • or, with low response to the Care Plan.

• Dr. Kat is adamant about giving the best care possible, & pushes for her patients' goals & care needs... She will NEVER administer unnecessary care, & will strive to get you to your optimal health goals as quickly as possible. The goal is not to see you everyday forever, it is to treat you when needed, & give you the ability to prevent problems in the future. In a manner of speaking, the ideal goal is for you to become in-tune with your body's needs & be able to self-correct behavior / perform home-care to avoid needing to be seen at all.

• Depending on your individual goals & needs, an average assumption is that you will be treated more frequently at first (to get you out of pain, correct poor functional habits, provide progressively more intense self-care exercises, etc.) & as you progress, your treatment frequency will become less & less.

• Dr. Kat is seen as your partner in care. She will hold you accountable for your progress just as much as she holds her treatments accountable. Depending on your goals, needs, & preferred interaction style, she can be your 'professional friend', your 'drill sergeant', or anything in-between.

• Dr. Kat cares about you as a whole, not just about your pain or posture. Your mental health & need for other types of care such as more intensive physical therapy, acupuncture, etc., are always important & for those reasons, Dr. Kat has a Referral Network for providers you may also benefit from.