Full Answer
How to get medical insurance to cover massage therapy?
- What are the conditions to qualify for reimbursement?
- Is there is a deductible or any out-of-pocket cost to you?
- Is there is a maximum amount payable per policy term/year?
- Is there a maximum reimbursement per visit? ...
- Is there a time limit per body region?
- Are there specific massage therapists you must go to?
- Do all types of massage qualify for coverage?
Can massage therapy be covered by insurance?
Sometimes insurances will cover massage therapy only if it is provided by a chiropractor, doctor, or physical therapist. Private insurance carriers, medicare and medicaid requirements and other factors come into play when discussing massage therapy. Biling your insurer does not guarantee that your particular plan covers massage therapy.
What insurance does a massage therapist need?
There are five basic types of insurance a massage therapist needs in order to be fully protected: 1. Malpractice Insurance
What states cover massage therapy with Medicaid?
Similar to Medicare, Medicaid usually does not cover the cost of a massage. Medicaid is administered on a state-to-state basis. Therefore, you will need to take a look at the regulations related to Medicaid in your specific state for more information.
Are massage devices covered by insurance?
Depending on your plan, private insurance may reimburse you for all or part of the purchase of the massager, typically dependent on a specific medical condition and doctors recommendation deeming medical massagers necessary. Medicare does not cover MedMassager devices at this time.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida cover massage therapy?
Massage and bodywork therapies are often covered by insurance in the state of Florida. This includes major medical (e.g. Blue Cross) and job-related injury (Worker's Compensation).
Is massage therapy considered medical treatment?
Massage is generally considered part of integrative medicine. Medical centers are offering it more and more as a treatment along with standard treatment. It may be used for a wide range of medical conditions.
Are massages covered by HSA?
Massage Therapy is eligible for reimbursement with a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN) with flexible spending accounts (FSA), health savings accounts (HSA) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRA).
Who is eligible for Florida Blue?
You are age 65 or older and a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident who has lived in the U.S. continuously for five years prior to applying.
Which Florida Blue plan is best?
Currently, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna offer the best rates in the majority of the Florida and is available in almost every county. A plan that most consumers can start looking at is the BlueOptions Silver 1410, a Silver plan which has the smallest premiums in most Florida counties.
What makes massage medically necessary?
Medically necessary massage is massage or bodywork that is targeted at a specific soft tissue problem that you feel is negatively impacting your life or health. This could be pain or mobility issues, stress management or injury recovery.
Does Medicaid pay for massage therapy?
For example, though Medicaid does not cover massage therapy at home, it may cover some costs of massage therapies when it is performed in a hospital depending on the patient's specific conditions. Also, different states have different requirements and laws for massage therapy coverage and reimbursement.
What is the difference between medical massage and massage therapy?
During a spa visit, you typically enjoy a regular, Swedish Massage that's more basic and centers on your relaxation. However, during a medical massage, a professional may use a broader set of modalities, such as Trigger Point Therapy or Myofascial Release, to offer to aid in muscle health recovery.
Is a deep tissue massage HSA eligible?
Massage Therapy is eligible for reimbursement through most FSA's and HSA's. Some do require a Letter of Medical Necessity from your doctor, but this means you can potentially be reimbursed from your insurance for your massage from us! You just need a note from your primary care physician.
Does Massage Envy take HSA?
We don't accept insurance but we are able to accept HSA/FSA debit cards as payment for your services. If it's your first time at Massage Envy we have our introductory rate of $60 for a 60 minute session or $90 for a 90 minute session!
Does FSA pay for massage?
If you have a Flex Spending Account (FSA), you may not be aware that Massage Therapy can qualify as a medical expense. If massage therapy services are prescribed by your physician then you can use your FSA account to pay for these services.
How to verify insurance for massage therapy?
There are some important questions to ask your insurance company. Contact a representative through the customer service number (usu ally on the back of your insurance card). Example questions:
How to get a prescription for massage therapy?
Get a prescription by clearly communicating to your doctor that you’d like massage therapy. Say you’re having muscle pain and, based on your lifestyle, pain history and research, you think massage therapy is a reasonable option. Describe all of this clearly to your doctor. For example: “I have low back pain, and it may be because I’m sleeping ...
Why is massage therapy important?
It’s become especially important to recognize massage as a pain-relief method as the country faces an epidemic of opioid abuse. Doctors and patients are turning to alternative methods, which include non-opioid medications ...
What is the goal of a massage therapist?
When licensed massage therapists meet with patients, their goal isn’t just to offer therapy, but also to identify how the person came to have this pain. They’ll evaluate habits, such as crossing the legs a certain way, that could be adjusted to prevent pain.
Can a doctor prescribe massage?
Ask your doctor to prescribe massage for the most general diagnosis possible. A prescription of massage therapy for “muscle pain” allows a licensed therapist to adjust treatment to your problem more easily and quickly.
Can a massage therapist write a prescription?
Because massage therapists can’t write prescriptions or diagnose patients, they must do exactly what the prescription asks.
Does insurance cover massage therapy?
When massage is prescribed as treatment for an injury, it may be covered by other types of insurance. Individuals who are involved in motor vehicle accidents may receive their reimbursement through auto insurance. Individuals who have been injured at work sometimes receive therapeutic massage through worker’s compensation.
Is massage a benefit in the West?
They noted that massage enjoyed a greater presence in the Western states and that massage was more likely to be included as a benefit in the West. A number of policies offered coverage for massage but with some limitations. In some cases, being credentialed as a massage therapist would not be enough.
Do massage therapists need preauthorization?
Some policies required massage therapists to seek pre-authorization. It is common to place limits on number of visits and length of sessions. The carrier may state that the treatments must be part of a treatment plan made by a healthcare provider. Some policies noted particular techniques.
The Call for Massage Therapy
In 2010, The Affordable Care Act opened the doors with Section 2706 that said insurance companies “shall not discriminate”against any health provider with a state-recognized license.
Overcoming the Objections to getting massage covered by health insurance
My goal here is to get massage therapists to the table with the powers that be – insurance commissioners, health insurance carriers and legislators before they just jump in and make massage therapy covered by health insurance. From what I have been seeing, so many things are pointing us in that direction (see above), but we are not ready.
How to bill insurance for massage therapy?
Interacting with insurance companies correctly will pay off. The following hints will help any massage therapist realize that billing insurance isn’t very hard: 1 Documentation assures payment – make certain your SOAP notes accurately reflect what occurred, chart progress and cover what you billed for. 2 Always follow the doctor’s prescription. 3 Only bill insurance companies that will reimburse a massage therapist. 4 Stay within your scope of practice. 5 Use the correct form and be sure to fill it out correctly. 6 Use the proper, most current codes. 7 When applicable, bill in 15 minute increments. 8 Confirm a procedure code is accepted by a company prior to submission.
What is CPT code?
Combined with the World Health Association’s International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes, the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes offer a concise and accurate description of the medical professional’s actions.
Does insurance cover massage therapy?
As scientific research continues to prove the value of massage therapy, an increasing number of insurance companies now cover massage therapy as an acceptable and billable therapeutic service. Here’s how to deal with insurance companies so you can expand your client base and increase the profitability of your practice.
Is there a code for massage therapy?
Even though there are a plethora of massage techniques used by today’s bodyworkers, there are not enough codes to represent them . Whenever change enters a well-established institution, as massage therapy has entered mainstream medicine, it takes years for all of the components to reflect the change.
Can insurance companies reimburse massage therapists?
Only bill insurance companies that will reimburse a massage therapist. Stay within your scope of practice. Use the correct form and be sure to fill it out correctly. Use the proper, most current codes. When applicable, bill in 15 minute increments. Confirm a procedure code is accepted by a company prior to submission.
Can massage therapists be contracted?
A handful of states permit massage therapists to be contracted providers within the healthcare system. With new legislation constantly emerging, be sure to check on the most current insurance billing guidelines in your state. Additionally, experts in the field suggest using an insurance verification form prior to bill submission.