Plan Design Considerations
To encourage use of complementary therapies, employers need to consider making plan design changes that cover and/or lower copays for non-drug options that are supported by clinical evidence and by state mandated coverage requirements. Examples for non-drug therapeutic options include:1
- Physical therapy
- Behavioral health treatment
- Acupuncture – ancillary to conventional therapy in treatment of nonspecific, non-inflammatory low back pain
- Chiropractic care
- Medical massage therapy
- Rendered by a licensed medical massage therapist
- Prescription required from health care provider every 12 months
- Yoga therapy
The value of these interventions can be assessed based on outcome measures that demonstrate improvements in pain and pain-related disability functional status.1