Why Open Care Is Insurance-Free & Smart Ways to Save
Why Open Care Doesn’t Take Insurance & How to Save
I. The Elephant in the Room — Why No Insurance?
If you've been to our website or booked an appointment with Open Care Community, you may have noticed something a little different: we don't accept insurance.
We're asked this question a lot — and it's a reasonable one. In a healthcare system in which insurance is the key to unlocking medical care, it may feel confusing or even infuriating to come across a clinic that doesn't take it.
But here's the deal: not accepting insurance wasn't a decision we came to easily. It's a decision grounded in our fundamental values-accessibility, transparency, and patient-first.
This article will walk you through the real reasons that we don't charge insurance in our clinics and, most importantly, how we've created a model that is affordable and still provides you with high-quality, holistic care.
II. The Insurance Primer: How Insurance Works in Healthcare (and Why It So Often Fails to Work in Alternative Medicine)
U.S. health insurance is designed primarily for traditional, Western medicine—think of trips to urgent care facilities, surgery, and medication. But for alternative or complementary medicine like acupuncture, it gets complicated.
The majority of insurance providers follow a fee-for-service system. To be reimbursed, healthcare providers have to make use of a system of CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes for every service provided, and ICD (International Classification of Diseases) codes to support the diagnosis. These codes have to match your plan's approved list to the dot. One tiny misfit—or an ambiguous policy—can lead to denied claims or lagging payments.
Now, consider applying that system to a treatment like acupuncture or Chinese herbal counseling. Not only is it difficult to place holistic treatments into strict categories, but the insurance is typically only for a very small number of diagnoses (essentially "pain-related").
In order to bill insurance properly, clinics need special billing personnel, expensive claim software, and follow-up personnel to track down reimbursement—charges that can drive up everyone's cost of care.
📚Source: Healthline Acupuncture Coverage Guidelines
At Open Care, we've chosen to invest those dollars in patient care, not forms.
III. Why So Many Acupuncturists and CAM Clinics Throughout America Are Opting Out
The decision not to take insurance isn't an Open Care Community decision—it's part of a movement in the entire field of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM).
More and more licensed acupuncturists and integrative health clinics throughout the U.S. are opting out of insurance panels, and here's why:
📉Narrow Focus: Most insurance policies only reimburse acupuncture for very narrow, typically pain-related disorders (e.g., low back pain or migraines), not for stress, infertility, digestion, or cosmetic dermatology—problems many patients have had practitioners address.
🕒 Late Payment: Insurers pay weeks or months later, and at times, it gets rejected entirely on the grounds of coding errors or not pre-authorizing.
💰 Costly Administration: The process of verifying insurance, coding every visit, submitting claims, handling rejections, and tracking reimbursements requires more staff and billing software, positively impacting overhead.
🧾 Audit Risk: Even the best-faith clinics that bill appropriately fall within the scope of insurance audits that are anxiety-provoking and time-consuming.
📊 According to the NCCAOM 2022 Job Analysis, over 54% of US acupuncturists no longer charge insurance companies directly. Just not feasible in most practice settings.
📚 Source: Psychology Today: Why Insurance Doesn't Cover Alternative Therapies
For those practices wanting to price patient-specific care and affordability, not accepting insurance is a step towards greater autonomy and patient-centered healing.
IV. What It Would Mean If We Took Insurance
On the surface, billing insurance would be a positive. But behind the scenes, it would be a monolithic obstacle to the type of care we're dedicated to providing at Open Care Community. This is what it would be like if we did bill insurance:
1.💹 Increased Patients' Costs
We'd need to hire billing staff, buy specialty software, and spend more time processing paper—all of which would be more expensive. Ironically, this could make our patients pay more out-of-pocket, not less.
2. ⏱️ Shorter, More Rushed Interactions
Insurance payment tends to cover short, frequent visits. That would compel us to cut treatment duration or diminish the personalized attention that sets our care apart.
3. 📋 Less Choice in Your Care Plan
We only get compensated for a very narrow range of diagnoses. That constrains how and what we can treat, and for how long. But with Chinese medicine, your body isn't a checklist—it's a system. We treat the whole person, not symptoms that map onto a billing code.
"In a Nutshell: We'd be less Open Care—and more like just another clinic."
By staying free of insurance, we preserve the liberty to offer empathetic, thorough, and judgment-free care—the kind that heals in a very real sense.
V. Our Philosophy: Why We Chose a Sliding Scale Over Insurance
At Open Care Community, we feel that health is a right, not a privilege, for those who have a certain insurance or income. That is why we run a sliding-scale fee model—and it's rooted in the way we care for our community.
💸 How Our Sliding Scale Works
Community Acupuncture: $45–$90 per session
Private Acupuncture: Clear, upfront fees for one-to-one care
No income proof. No questioning. You simply choose what you can afford.
We trust our patients. Period.
💡Why Sliding Scale Is Better Than Insurance (For Many)
You don't have to pay a deductible up front.
No surprise billing, denied claims, or fine print.
No extra fees to pay for billing centers or insurance coding
More opportunities to receive the treatment you want, when you want it
No matter if you're managing life transitions, chronic pain, or simply want to feel better in your body, our model enables you to receive regular, high-quality care without the bureaucratic nightmare.
👉Want to learn more about our approach and fees? OpenCareCommunity.com
VI. Real Talk: Insurance May Not Save You As Much As You Think
Although insurance is always a good idea in most cases, the most inexpensive method to receive acupuncture or other alternative healing therapies is not always through insurance. Several patients find it cheaper to pay in cash, particularly in a sliding fee scale such as ours.
💰 Figuring out the costs
The median deductible for job-based coverage in NYC is around $1,650 annually (KFF.org)
Most policies cover acupuncture for extremely limited diagnoses like back pain, not stress, hormonal imbalance, skin ailments, or preventive care.
Even if your policy includes acupuncture, out-of-network practitioners such as Open Care may still expect you to pay out-of-pocket
💸What You Pay For With Insurance
Unseen administrative fees charged by clinics to patients (audit staff, software, billing staff)
Briefer sessions to accommodate within insurance fee allowances
Inflexible treatment protocols focused on billing codes rather than patient care
So even though it might look like insurance would be the more cost-effective option, it's more expensive, less convenient, and harder to use, especially for holistic, patient-centered care like ours.
👉 Want to budget your well-being better? Book your appointment today
VII. How Open Care Allows You to Save Without Sacrificing
Here at Open Care Community, we believe that quality acupuncture and wellness care shouldn't be sticker-shocking—or tied to strings. That's why we've made our clinic accessible to people, not insurance companies.
💲Fair Prices for Quality Care
Sliding-scale community acupuncture: Pay what you can—$45 to $90 per session—with no income verification necessary.
Private acupuncture: One-on-one treatment for a variety of ailments, at a fraction of the price of a boutique clinic.
Fair rates: You'll never be surprised at the cost or the reason.
💡Created Specifically for Your Life
Convenient downtown Brooklyn location, near transit and ADA-accessible.
Flexible care options: Mix and alternate between private appointments and community acupuncture, bodywork, or herbal consults depending on your changing needs
Whole-person care: No cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all treatment plans—every patient is heard, evaluated, and treated for what's causing the condition.
With Open Care, you're not a line item on a bill—you're a patient, and your health comes first.
👉 Discover how our new model works for your health budget—at OpenCareCommunity
VIII. Other Uses of Your Insurance at Open Care (Seriously)
Though we don't accept insurance directly, it doesn't necessarily mean that your insurance dollars can't be utilized to cover your path to wellness. These are some intelligent ways our patients have their coverage pay:
✅Utilize Your HSA or FSA for Acupuncture
If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA), you can probably use it to pay for your Open Care Community sessions.
Acupuncture is a medical expense according to the IRS.
Pay with an HSA or FSA, and it's tax-free, so you'll save even more.
📄IRS Guide to HSA-Qualified Expenses →
📋 Superbill Option (For Certain Plans)
Some patients with out-of-network benefits might request that you bill them a superbill—a detailed bill that you can submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement.
Inquire with our front desk if you would like one prepared following your session.
Remind: Reimbursement is not guaranteed, but it would not hurt to inquire
📞Calling Your Insurance To Ask About Acupuncture Coverage (Phone Script)
“Hello, I'm calling to ask if my policy has out-of-network coverage for acupuncture. I was wondering if I would be reimbursed for treatment at a New York licensed facility. What documentation would you require?”
Write down the rep's name, ref number, and your plan details—they should give you all of this information.
👉Require help to assist in guiding your decisions? Call our front desk or visit OpenCareCommunity.com for more details.
IX. You Deserve Choices, Not Constraints
When your health is on the line, it shouldn't be a matter of battling red tape to get the proper care. At Open Care Community, we believe that wellbeing should:
Unobstructed
Affordable
Customized
Free from insurance woes
We've chosen not to join insurance networks because we feel we shouldn't restrict the amount of time we spend with patients, the treatments we do, or the quality of care we deliver. Insurance tends to box clinics into systems. We chose freedom for you and for us.
💫"You shouldn't ever have to have to choose between affordability and quality care."
Our sliding-scale system gives you access to therapies that care for your whole self, from stress to skin to sports injuries, no matter what's in your wallet. No forms to fill out. No deductibles. No fine print.
👉 Ready to try acupuncture on your terms and in a supportive, inclusive environment?
Book today at OpenCareCommunity.com
X. Frequently Asked Questions: For Patients Still Wondering
Despite all of this, you will still probably have some questions. We hear you, and we're here to help. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we get about insurance and affordability at Open Care Community
Q: Do I make a claim directly to the insurance?
A: Absolutely! Although we do not charge insurance directly, we'd be delighted to provide you with a superbill—a professional bill that contains the codes your insurance company will need. You can also submit the same yourself for possible reimbursement, pending your plan.
Q: Do you take FSA or HSA cards?
A: Yes. Acupuncture is an eligible expense under most Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts FSAs. We also give detailed receipts if your practitioner needs documentation.
Q: What if I actually want to utilize my insurance?
A: We understand. You're not alone. Most patients expect insurance to reduce the cost of treatment. But depending on your deductible, co-pay, or coverage maximums, you might end up paying more out of pocket than you would with our sliding scale. We're here to break it down for you.
Q: Isn't this discriminatory against those who are insurance-dependent?
A: No, it's the opposite. We structured our model because we believe that everyone should be able to access it, regardless of their insurance status. For that reason, we never ask for income verification, and we keep our fees open and flexible. We're relying on you to know what you can afford.
👉 Want to know more? Read our Services & Pricing page and see how it works, and how to book
XI. Last Call to Action: Your Choice, Your Care
We hope that this guide has made it clearer why Open Care Community and other clinics decide not to take insurance and how that choice truly prioritizes the needs of their patients. We're dedicated to openness, adaptability, and giving you back control of your recovery process.
💡 Rather than navigating insurance red tape, we provide:
Our acupuncture sliding scale model offers transparent pricing.
Brooklyn acupuncture that is reasonably priced and doesn't require proof of income
Providing you with wellness-related alternatives to health insurance
Know that we have your back with clarity, empathy, and care, whether you're researching Chinese medicine without insurance or wondering if you can use your health insurance for acupuncture. Choosing holistic health shouldn't feel overwhelming or unaffordable, in our opinion. Additionally, even though acupuncture clinics don’t take insurance for good reasons, you still deserve exceptional care, without the stress of deductibles or surprise bills.
👉 Ready to try acupuncture on your terms?
Explore our services and sliding-scale options today at OpenCareCommunity.com
