Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Chinese Medicine
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The Classical Chinese Medical Perspective:
Think of acupuncture meridians as rivers of communication flowing between your internal organ networks. Acupuncture opens and frees these lines of communication:
- Restores Systemic Flow: Unblocks stagnant pathways to promote vitality and ease throughout the body; creates functional cohesion within the fascia, vascular system, nervous system, digestive system, etcetera.
- Strengthens Immune Defense: Helps the immune system efficiently defend against external pathogens rather than becoming overwhelmed by internal tension.
The Modern Biomedical Perspective:
From a physiological standpoint, inserting micro-fine needles triggers measurable biological responses:
- Regulates the Nervous System: Stimulates the vagus nerve to calm the nervous system and open neural pathways.
- Balances Hormones & Circulation: Enhances blood flow and coordinates messaging between the nervous and endocrine systems.
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Restores Homeostasis: Shifts your body out of stress mode into an optimal state of self-healing and recovery.
Chinese herbal medicine works by sending precise gestures to the body’s organ networks, helping restore the natural flow of qi between multiple systems. Each herb carries a unique directional expression, such as rising, descending, dispersing, or consolidating, which guides the body to respond. Herbal formulas combine multiple herbs to create a strategic, synergistic impulse, allowing the body to correct imbalances at the root without forcing an incompatible cure.
By applying these carefully chosen gestures, herbal medicine supports the body’s innate intelligence, guiding its mechanisms back to a state of coherent, harmonious functioning. This highly sophisticated system can been used to support a wide range of conditions, from autoimmune disorders to insomnia, hypothyroidism, and more.
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Safety & Comfort
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What to Expect
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During your initial visit, we begin with a thorough diagnostic intake to understand your health history, current symptoms and patterns, and your healing goals.
This is followed by Chinese Medicine traditional diagnostic methods, including observation of the tongue and palpation of the pulse, both of which offer valuable insight about your body’s internal landscape.
You will then receive an acupuncture treatment, which may also incorporate additional modalities such as moxibustion, cupping, gua sha, or Craniosacral therapy, depending on your individual needs. Once the needles are placed, you will rest for about 20 minutes.
Within a few days after your appointment, you will receive a follow-up email with an overview of your current qi dynamic from a Chinese Medicine perspective, along with personalized lifestyle recommendations. If you are open to herbal medicine, your care may also include a customized herbal formula prescribed through Golden Needle, an herbal medicinary based in western North Carolina, which ships directly to your home.
Please note: If you are interested in both acupuncture and herbal medicine, there is no need to book separate appointments. Simply schedule a new patient acupuncture visit.
Combining Therapies
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Pricing, Policies, and Location
We will soon be an in-network provider with MedCost. For all other major insurance carriers (Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare), we operate as an out-of-network provider and can provide you with an itemized receipt called a Superbill to submit to your insurance company for potential reimbursement.
Medicare will not reimburse for acupuncture that is not provided under the care of an MD, DO, NP, or PA. Because Dr. Jessica is a DAcCHM (Doctor of Acupuncture with a specialization in Chinese Herbal Medicine), Medicare will not reimburse for her services.
Understanding Insurance Plan Types & Superbill Eligibility
If you are seeing an out-of-network provider and planning to submit a Superbill, your plan type determines if you are eligible for reimbursement:
- PPO (Preferred Provider Organization): Yes, Superbill Reimbursable. Eligible for reimbursement after meeting your out-of-network deductible.
- POS (Point of Service): Yes, Superbill Reimbursable.
- HMO (Health Maintenance Organization): No, no Superbill reimbursement.
- EPO (Exclusive Provider Organization): No, no Suberbill reimbursement.
Do I need a doctor’s referral before scheduling?
Whether you need a Primary Care Physician (PCP) referral depends on the type of plan printed on your insurance card.
For most PPO plans, you do not need a physician’s referral.
In most cases, POS plans require a primary care physician’s referral to see an acupuncturist, and to reimburse the cost of treatment.
What Will My Insurance Company Cover?
Blue Cross and Blue Shield:
- Number of Treatments Covered: 12–20 visits/year (20 visits is standard for Medicare Advantage)
- Conditions Covered: Chronic back pain, neck pain, joint pain, osteoarthritis, migraines
- Likelihood of Reimbursement: High after meeting your out-of-network deductible with PPO and POS plans. Zero reimbursement for HMO and EPO plans.
Aetna:
- Number of Treatments Covered: 12–20 visits/year (often shares a cap with physical therapy and chiropractic care)
- Conditions Covered: Chronic low back pain, neck pain, osteoarthritis, headaches, nausea induced by chemotherapy or pregnancy
- Likelihood of Reimbursement: Moderate to High: Reimbursed if your specific plan has out-of-network benefits (PPO and POS plans). Zero reimbursement for HMO and EPO plans.
United Healthcare:
- Number of Treatments Covered: 10–20 visits/year(Managed via Optum Health)
- Conditions Covered: Chronic low back pain, neck pain, knee pain, osteoarthritis, headaches
- Likelihood of Reimbursement: Moderate: Reimbursed if out-of-network benefits exist (PPO and POS plans). May require pre-authorization from Optum Health. Zero reimbursement for HMO and EPO plans.
Medicare
Medicare only reimburses for acupuncture performed under licensed MD’s, DO’s, PA’s, and Nurse Practitioners, for low back pain. Therefore, it will not reimburse for any treatments at Roots of Harmony, as Dr. Watson is a DAcCHM (Doctor of Acupuncture with a specialization in Chinese herbal medicine).