Paying for Osteopathy

If you are having osteopathic treatment carried out on the NHS then you will not have to pay anything to your osteopath. However, if you are paying for a private osteopath then you will need to discuss what methods of payment your local osteopathic clinic accepts.

Some osteopathic clinics will be run solely by a single osteopath so these types of clinics may have a more limited number of payment options available to them. However, other clinics will be larger and involve a team of osteopaths who all work in the same building under the same clinic name. This keeps their costs down and may even allow them to hire an administrator to deal with payments. The presence of an administrator could allow them to accept more payment methods (such as cheque or internet payments).


Methods of Payment

Now a day’s most osteopathic clinics accept payment by most card types, but you might want to check your particular card is accepted by your local osteopath if you use a particularly unusual card. Card payments are usually taken at the end of each visit so that you pay for each 30 minute treatment session as you go through your treatment plan. Obviously, in a similar way, you can also use cash to pay for you osteopathic treatment at the end of each 30 minute session.

Occasionally some osteopaths might accept payment by cheque after your appointment, but you may wish to check this with your local osteopathic clinic.

It is also becoming common for some osteopathic clinics to have extensive websites where you may be able to book and pay for a treatment online before you visit the clinic. If you prefer to pay before you visit then this may be a good option for you, although it would be wise to be sure that you are using a genuine osteopathic website (for an osteopath who is fully registered with the General Osteopathic Council). To check this you could phone up the clinic or check on the General Osteopathic Council’s website.

Using Private Medical Insurance to Pay for Your Osteopathic Treatment

If you have private medical insurance then you should be sure to check the terms and conditions of your insurance before you pay for your osteopathic treatment yourself. Most private medical insurance policies will cover osteopathic treatment; however you may find that they require a GP referral before they will do this. In this case it is important that you ensure that you visit your GP to get a written referral (which you can send to your insurance company) before you visit your osteopath.

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