Auto Accidents & Insurance

Does Minnesota No-Fault Insurance Cover a Chiropractor?

Reviewed by Dr. Dustin Dukart, DC

Short answer: yes. In Minnesota, chiropractic care for injuries from a car accident is normally paid by your own auto insurance under no-fault coverage — no matter who caused the crash. Here’s how that actually works.

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The numbers: every MN auto policy carries at least $20,000/person for medical expenses under PIP — chiropractic care is a covered expense, paid by your own insurer regardless of fault. Beyond that, a liability claim for pain and suffering needs medical expenses over $4,000 or a lasting injury.

What “No-Fault” Means Here

Minnesota is a no-fault auto insurance state. Under the Minnesota No-Fault Automobile Insurance Act, every auto policy issued in the state has to include Personal Injury Protection (PIP) — the law calls it “basic economic loss benefits.” When you’re hurt in a crash, your own insurer pays your medical bills and part of your lost income first, regardless of which driver was at fault. You don’t wait for the other driver’s insurance to accept blame.

How Much PIP Covers

By law, a Minnesota policy carries a minimum of $20,000 per person, per accident for reasonable medical expenses, and a separate minimum of $20,000 for wage loss and replacement services (Minn. Stat. § 65B.44). Some people carry higher limits. The medical portion covers reasonable and necessary care for accident-related injuries — and that includes chiropractic care, the same as it covers a visit to a physician or physical therapist.

Starting a PIP Claim

The practical steps are simple:

Report the accident to your own auto insurer promptly. Minnesota law sets deadlines for giving notice and for filing — if you’re not sure what applies to you, ask your insurer or an attorney early rather than late.
Your insurer opens a claim and gives you a claim number and an adjuster.
Give that claim number to any clinic you see. We (and most providers) bill the PIP claim directly, so you’re generally not paying out of pocket for covered visits.
Keep your own file: the police report or incident number, every bill, mileage to appointments, and any missed work.

What Happens When PIP Runs Out

If your care costs more than your PIP medical limit, the next payers are usually your health insurance and — if someone else caused the crash — a liability claim against that driver’s insurance. In Minnesota you can pursue a liability claim for pain and suffering only if your injury clears a threshold: medical expenses over $4,000 (not counting diagnostic X-rays, MRI, or CT), or a permanent injury, permanent disfigurement, or disability lasting 60 days or more (Minn. Stat. § 65B.51). This is where an attorney is worth talking to — especially for a serious or lasting injury.

How We Handle Accident Cases

An accident visit starts with a trauma-specific exam to rule out fracture or serious injury before any hands-on care, then we grade and document the injury using the classification insurers and attorneys expect to see, and adjust the plan to where you are in recovery. More on that on the auto accident and whiplash page, and see also what to do in the first days after a crash and how insurance covers chiropractic care in Minnesota.

This is general information about Minnesota’s no-fault system, not legal advice. For questions about a specific claim or a serious injury, talk to your insurer and, if needed, an attorney.

Hurt in a Crash? Get Checked.

Most new patients are seen within a few days. Bring your auto claim number if you have one.