Verify Insurance Information

Big Island Oriental Medicine accepts some insurance patients. Dr Johnston, who comes from a military family, is a proud Veteran’s Administration provider and accepts all VA patients.

Due to difficult provider reimbursement challenges, effective Jan 1, 2024, Dr Johnston is no longer accepting patients with ASH-serviced HMSA or Kaiser plans or Dept of Education-HI Workers Compensation patients. Existing patients will continue to receive care. If you are a Kaiser or HMSA patient with a complementary care plan managed through ASH (American Specialty Health), please contact Dr Johnston for other affordable care options at info@bigislandorientalmedicine.com or call 808.657.6065.

For all other insurance plans, to best serve you, we can verify your insurance benefits before you arrive. Based on the results of the insurance verification, patients will be responsible to pay any co-pays or out-of-pocket deductible at the time of treatment. Please click on the link below and complete the online form. We will contact you as soon as the benefits are established- this may take a few business days. Please note, even if you give us your information in the office, we will have to wait for several business days to determine benefits, and thus patients will have to pay out of pocket until benefits are verified.

VETERANS: Dr April Johnston is an approved, contracted provider for the Veteran’s Administration. Veterans do not pay anything, but will need to have a valid authorization from the VA for acupuncture (requesting Dr Johnston) sent to Dr. Johnston. FAX: 808-353-0464. Office: 808-657-6065

Workers Compensation/ Personal Injury Cases: Please have your case manager send an authorization for services from Dr. April Johnston, DACM. PLEASE NOTE: If you are a Department of Education employee with State of Hawaii, Dr Johnston will not accept the referral. FAX: 808-353-0464. Office: 808-657-6065

Does Medicare cover acupuncture?

Medicare: Currently Medicare will only cover acupuncture for low back pain. Unfortunately, Medicare does not recognize even doctoral-level acupuncture physicians as Medicare providers, and therefore acupuncturists are unable to bill Medicare unless they work underneath an MD, who bills for them. This situation is nearly impossible to find. There is currently a bill in Congress with bipartisan support to change this so that Medicare patients can directly access acupuncture care as a covered benefit without having to find an acupuncturist who works in an MD’s office. Dr. Johnston is in private practice and unable to bill Medicare. However, she does help Medicare patients who have a referral for acupuncture from their MD/PCP by giving them a filled-out insurance form so that patients can seek reimbursement from Medicare on their own.

FAX: 808-353-0464. Office: 808-657-6065