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MOORHEAD (KFGO/KVRR) — What healthcare providers call one of Minnesota’s more cost-effective forms of treatment will not be as accessible for some people beginning in 2026.
Minnesota lawmakers repealed the use of a chiropractor for medical services under both Minnesota Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare for adults 21 and older.
“Patients will have to understand that they will have to pay out-of-pocket for the examination that is done when they first come in for treatment, and the actual care that is delivered over a period of time. They will have to pay 100% out of their own pocket for that care,” said Dr. Chuck Sawyer, Chair of Legislative Committee for Minnesota Chiropractic Association and Lobbyist for Northwestern Health Sciences University.
“Chiropractor care is generally more accessible, especially in small towns. There may not be a medical physician nearby and the chiropractor doctor may be the only doctor that they will typically see. So it’s going to be disruptive,” Sawyer said.
In Moorhead, Dr. Beth Nokken is one of the few chiropractors in the area who accept Medicare and other insurance at her clinic. She says, due to the treatment already being cost-effective, other clinics typically don’t offer the option to pay with insurance.
“At our office anyway, we see quite a few Medicaid patients. So it’s not only going to be a hit to me as a professional, but the reality is it’s really limiting them in their healthcare,” Nokken said.
Services provided by chiropractors can reduce or avoid the need for prescription painkillers and surgery.
“If you take a person who’s in pain, and they seek out chiropractic care or compare that to going to a different profession looking for medication to manage their pain, or physical therapy to manage their pain, or even spinal injections. We are so much more affordable.”
Dr. Nokken says she intends to send a letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to appeal the new law.
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