What CPT codes are used most in chiropractic billing?

The core codes are 98940 (1–2 spinal regions), 98941 (3–4 regions), and 98942 (all 5 regions). CPT 98943 covers extraspinal manipulation. For new patient evaluations, chiropractors also use 99202–99205, and 99212–99215 for established patients when a separate E/M is justified.

Does Medicare cover chiropractic care?

Medicare covers spinal manipulation only — CPT 98940–98942 — when it’s medically necessary and active/corrective. It doesn’t cover maintenance care, x-rays under Part B, or massage therapy. Chiropractors must be enrolled in Medicare and must use modifier AT on every spinal manipulation claim.

The AT modifier tells Medicare the manipulation performed is active, corrective treatment — not maintenance. Without it, Medicare denies the claim. It must appear on CPT 98940, 98941, and 98942 for every Medicare patient receiving spinal manipulation.

The AT modifier tells Medicare the manipulation performed is active, corrective treatment — not maintenance. Without it, Medicare denies the claim. It must appear on CPT 98940, 98941, and 98942 for every Medicare patient receiving spinal manipulation.

Why do chiropractic claims get denied so often?

The biggest culprits are missing the AT modifier, vague documentation that doesn’t support medical necessity, billing for maintenance care under Medicare, and exceeding annual visit limits without exceptions. Most chiropractic denials are preventable with consistent pre-visit eligibility checks and thorough SOAP note documentation.

Can chiropractors bill for evaluation and management codes?

Yes, when a medically necessary evaluation separate from the adjustment is performed. The documentation must support the E/M level using the 2021 AMA guidelines — either time-based or medical decision complexity. Modifier 25 is required when billing both E/M and SMT on the same date.

How long does it take to get paid for chiropractic claims?

Clean electronic claims paid by Medicare typically process in 14–21 days. Commercial payers pay in 14–30 days for clean claims. The most common cause of delayed payment isn’t payer slowness — it’s claim errors, missing documentation, or late submission that force rework.

What documentation is required for chiropractic billing?

Each visit note needs the chief complaint, exam findings, the specific spinal regions treated, ICD-10 diagnosis codes, CPT codes with any required modifiers, patient’s response to treatment, and clinical reasoning for continued care. For Medicare, the note must show the care is active and corrective — not maintenance.

Should chiropractors outsource billing or handle it in-house?

For practices seeing 50+ patients per week, outsourcing billing to a specialty-trained team is almost always more cost-effective than maintaining in-house staff. Specialized billing services bring chiropractic-specific payer expertise, faster submission, and lower denial rates. Solo practices seeing 15–20 patients per week can manage in-house, but only with dedicated billing training.

Chiropractic Billing: The Complete Guide to Getting Paid Faster in 2026

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