HISTORY of the “Box-on-the-Wall” fee system
Years ago it was not uncommon for chiropractors to serve entire communities.
There was no exclusion to who got adjusted; boys and girls, moms and dads, grandparents and neighbors, athletes and bookworms, people with “bad backs” and those who felt fine. Chiropractors had open adjusting hours, no-hassle offices, and fair fees.
People who saw a chiropractor did so to keep their bodies working right. They weren’t treated as patients- instead they were welcomed as members of a practice. The practice members knew their chiropractor was there for them and got adjusted to stay healthy, because they understood that their bodies were healthy naturally. Nature needs no help, only no interference.
When the insurance companies started covering chiropractic care, the community service focus of many chiropractic practices drastically changed. Insurance now paid for people to get adjusted and it paid so well that it tempted some chiropractors to drastically raise their rates. This eventually put an end to the community care aspect of many chiropractic offices, because some people who didn’t have insurance could no longer afford to be adjusted on a regular basis. Further, since many chiropractors were now charging the same fee as a medical office visit, the insurance companies started restricting adjustments. Now, instead of allowing regular visits as is necessary for chiropractic to be most effective, most insurance companies paid only if a patient had a specific diagnosable problem such as low-back pain or a sore neck. This is why chiropractors have become mistaken to be “back pain” doctors, even though what chiropractic really addresses nerve system interference, which much more important than back or neck pain.
Chiropractic care is good for ALL people under ALL circumstances. A properly functioning nervous system is essential for the body to work properly. People who get adjusted on a regular basis are generally healthier than those who don’t - of course, this applies to kids too.
We feel that access to regular chiropractic care is so important we have adopted a fee system that assures EVERYONE can afford it. We offer a “Box-on-the-Wall” that collects all payments. It is actually a slot cut into one of our counter tops into which our practice members are free to anonymously drop in whatever amount they feel is fair based on their personal financial situation. Families are encouraged to come in together and get adjusted together. The fee paid for one adjustment covers the whole family for the week. Children shouldn’t be denied chiropractic care simply because their back never hurts or because they aren’t covered by insurance. They can grow up to be happy, healthy adults - without interference to their nerve system. Because every person has a higher potential when their nerve system is free of interference.