Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans are required by federal law to provide at least the same benefits as Original Medicare Part A and Part B. This requirement is established under Section 1852(a)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act and further outlined in 42 CFR § 422.101, which mandates that Medicare Advantage organizations furnish all Part A and Part B–covered services to enrollees. Plans may also offer additional benefits beyond those covered by Original Medicare.
Accordingly, all Medicare Advantage plans must cover chiropractic spinal manipulation to correct a subluxation (active treatment), consistent with Medicare Part B coverage requirements.
The MAC has recently been made aware of misleading or confusing information appearing in some 2026 Medicare Advantage “Change of Benefits” documents. For example, one plan lists “routine office visits” and “routine x-rays” as covered benefits for 2025, but states “Chiropractic services are not covered” for 2026. This statement, when read in isolation, appears incorrect or contradictory.
To verify actual coverage, Medicare beneficiaries and chiropractic providers should review the plan’s full Evidence of Coverage (EOC) document for 2026. The EOC is the legally binding document that governs plan benefits. In the plan mentioned above, the EOC correctly states under the Chiropractic Services section:
“Covered services include: Manual manipulation of the spine to correct subluxation.”
This confirms that chiropractic spinal manipulation remains a covered benefit under all Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans for 2026.
The MAC will continue monitoring Medicare Advantage plan materials to ensure chiropractic benefits are represented accurately and will alert members of any policy changes that impact patient access to care.
