Chiropractic is More Cost Effective Compared to Medical Care
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine1 reveals that chiropractic care is more cost effective than traditional medical services. The two groups studied consisted of one with 700,000 members with chiropractic coverage in their health plan and the second group with 1,000,000 members without chiropractic coverage. Some of the findings are listed below:
The average cost per back pain episode for patients with chiropractic coverage was 28 percent lower than for those who did not have chiropractic coverage.
Patients with back pain who had chiropractic had a 41 percent reduction in hospitalizations.
Patients with chiropractic had a 37 percent reduction in MRI scans.
Patients with chiropractic had a 32 percent reduction in need for back surgeries.
It was estimated that the total annual reduction in cost is around $16 million!
1. Legorreta AP, Metz RD, Nelson CF, et al. Comparative analysis of individuals with and without chiropractic coverage. Patient characteristics, utilization, and cost. Archives of Internal Medicine, Oct. 11, 2004;164:1985-1992