(MONEY Magazine) – If sticking needles into your body isn't your idea of curing a migraine, the medical community has three words for you: Get with it! A recent turnaround in attitudes toward alternative medicine is prompting both large and small health insurers across the country, including Blue Cross/Blue Shield and Mutual of Omaha, to begin covering treatments that once were ridiculed by the medical establishment. Among the newly covered treatments for pain and disease are acupuncture; Ayurvedic medicine, a treatment from India that combines herbal medicine, yoga and other practices; chiropractic work, which involves manipulating the muscles and spine; and naturopathy, a combination of botanical medicines, diet and massage.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, an estimated one-third of Americans visit an alternative specialist every year, collectively spending at least $13 billion--mostly out of pocket. "Insurers are beginning to cover alternative treatments in order to differentiate themselves from their competitors and appeal to this public demand," says Alan Kittner, president of Complementary HealthCare in San Francisco, a firm that gives companies information about health-care-provider networks.

Insurers' policies for such treatments vary widely. Some require a primary-care physician to refer you to the alternative specialist; others allow you to seek treatment on your own but have a cap on how much they'll pay. To get the best and most affordable care, follow these tips:

--Ask your state insurance commissioner's office for help finding an insurer that covers specific alternative treatments. Also ask what treatments insurers must cover under state law (45 states, for example, demand that insurers pay chiropractic charges).

--If you belong to an HMO, choose a primary-care physician who is familiar with alternative-care specialists he or she can refer you to.

--Call your insurer to find out what provider qualifications, such as a state license, satisfy your policy's requirements for coverage--and make sure the provider you choose meets them. Also get names of patients from the provider so you can ask them about their level of satisfaction.

--Finally, because policies are in constant flux, check periodically to see if your insurer's coverage of alternative treatments has changed.

--Karen Hube