Do I Need a Doctor Referral to See a Chiropractor After an Accident in Centennial?
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By Butler Family Health Center · Published 2026-11-05 · Last updated 2026-11-05
Usually not. After an accident in Centennial, you can call, text or walk in to Butler Family Health Center and ask for a same-day appointment. Where a referral can come up is coverage: some health insurance plans want one before they pay for chiropractic visits, and your auto policy is a separate payer with its own terms.
So the useful question is who pays, and in what order. In Colorado, medical payments coverage on an auto policy pays ahead of your health insurance after a crash.
Our page on personal injury chiropractic care in Centennial covers treatment after a car crash, a slip and fall or another injury claim. This article covers when a medical doctor or the ER should come first, how MedPay and your health plan fit together, why timing matters and what to have ready when you call.
This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.
Seeing a Chiropractor After an Accident in Centennial Without a Doctor Referral
You can book a chiropractor directly after an accident in Centennial. Call or text (303) 741-2444, ask for a same-day appointment, or walk in. Dr. Chris Butler, D.C., starts with a chiropractic examination.
If someone rear-ended you on East Arapahoe Road or you were caught in a sudden stop on Interstate 25, you do not have to wait for a primary care opening before you call us. The kind of accident does not change how you book either.
Why Your Coverage, Not the Clinic, Decides on a Referral
Your coverage decides whether a referral matters after a Centennial accident. Some health plans ask for a primary care referral before they pay for chiropractic visits. Your auto policy is a different payer with different terms.
Bring both cards to your first visit. We are a preferred provider for Anthem, Blue Cross, Aetna, Cofinity, Humana, Cigna, United Healthcare and others.
Symptoms After a Centennial Accident That Call for a Medical Doctor or the ER First
Some symptoms after a Centennial accident mean the emergency room or a medical doctor comes before any chiropractic visit. Go to the ER first if you notice any of these:
- A head injury, loss of consciousness or confusion after the impact
- Severe pain, or a bone you think may be broken
- Numbness, weakness or loss of control in your arms or legs that is new or getting worse
- Any symptom that feels serious or is getting worse fast
The hospital comes first, and accident chiropractic care can follow once a physician has checked you.
Without red flags, soreness and stiffness in the neck and back are the usual reasons people call us after a crash. Whiplash is a soft tissue injury to the neck, also called a neck sprain or strain.
If your exam points to something that needs imaging or a physician, that step should come before treatment. Our article on when a Centennial chiropractor can refer you for an MRI explains how that works.
How Medical Payments Coverage Works for Accident Chiropractic Care Near Centennial
MedPay, short for medical payments coverage, pays before your health plan after a crash near Centennial. Under C.R.S. 10-4-635, an auto policy must include $5,000 of medical payments coverage for bodily injury unless the named insured rejected it in writing. If the insurer cannot show proof of that rejection, the policy is presumed to include the $5,000.
C.R.S. 10-4-641 makes that coverage primary to any health insurance benefit and applies it to the deductible or coinsurance your health plan would otherwise ask you to pay. For care that MedPay pays, your health plan's referral terms may matter less.
One limit: the law pays providers of medically necessary, accident related care, and the section does not list provider types. Call your auto insurer, ask whether chiropractic visits are payable under your MedPay, and write down the claim number.
When Your Health Plan Asks for a Referral
Your health plan's referral terms can matter once MedPay is used up, or after a fall or other injury with no auto policy involved. Check those terms before your first visit for that kind of injury.
| Your situation | What to do first | Where Butler Family Health Center fits |
|---|---|---|
| Red flag symptoms, or a crash on Colorado 83 that put you in the hospital | ER or a medical doctor | Book follow up care once a physician has checked you |
| Sore and stiff after a low speed bump in the IKEA Centennial parking lot | Call or text us | Same-day appointment; bring your auto and health cards |
| A fall on the High Line Canal Trail, with no car involved | Check your health plan's referral terms | Book; we accept slip and fall and personal injury cases |
| An attorney is handling your claim | Have the attorney's name and office ready | Book; your chart starts at the first visit |
| Hurt on the job near the Denver Tech Center | Tell us it is a work injury when you call | Book; we accept workers' compensation cases |
If you are sore with no red flags, then book a same-day appointment rather than waiting on a note. If you are unsure which policy pays, then bring every insurance card and claim number you have and start care while the paperwork is sorted out.
How Soon to Book Accident Care in Centennial, Even if You Feel Fine
Book accident care in Centennial within days of the crash, even if you feel fine. Some neck symptoms take a day or more to show up, and an early exam puts a date on your condition close to the accident. Our article on how soon to get whiplash treatment after a car accident in Centennial covers the timing in more detail.
Claims have a clock too. In Colorado, an action for bodily injury arising from the use or operation of a motor vehicle generally must be filed within three years after it accrues, under C.R.S. 13-80-101.
Talk to an attorney about your own deadline. Ask which one applies if you were hurt in a fall or another kind of accident.
How a First Accident Visit Works in Centennial Without a Referral
A first accident visit in Centennial starts with a phone call, a text or a walk-in. These steps keep it simple:
- Call or text (303) 741-2444, or walk in, and say it is an accident case: auto, slip and fall, personal injury or work injury.
- Have your auto insurance card and any claim number ready, plus your health insurance card.
- Note the date and place of the accident, for example Arapahoe Road near the Centennial Civic Center, and describe it the same way each time.
- Bring your attorney's name and office address if you have one, and the other driver's details if you know them.
- Write down each symptom and the day it started.
- Come to 6500 S Quebec St #250 in Peakview Center, where there is onsite parking and a wheelchair accessible entrance.
We serve Dove Valley, Castlewood and Southglenn along with the rest of Centennial.
Why Book Butler Family Health Center for Accident Care in Centennial
Butler Family Health Center gives you a direct path to care after an accident in Centennial: call, text or walk in, with same-day appointments available. Dr. Chris Butler has been a chiropractor since 1996 and trained at Cleveland Chiropractic College in Kansas City.
We accept auto accident, personal injury, slip and fall and workers' compensation cases, and we handle auto accident claims. Most insurance is accepted, and cash plans are available if you have no insurance or a high deductible. We take checks, cash, HSA debit cards and major credit cards.
Patients rate the practice 4.9 stars on Google across more than 70 reviews. One wrote, "From the very beginning, I felt listened to, cared for, and never rushed."
We serve Centennial and nearby communities, including Littleton and Greenwood Village. How you respond to care depends on your injury and your exam.
The Bottom Line
You can usually book a chiropractor directly after an accident in Centennial. Red flag symptoms go to the ER first. For everything else, the question is coverage: Colorado MedPay pays ahead of your health plan and can cover its deductible and coinsurance, while your health plan's own terms decide whether it wants a referral. Start care early so your records begin close to the accident.
To book with Dr. Butler, call or text Butler Family Health Center at (303) 741-2444 and ask for a same-day accident appointment.