Can My Health Insurance Cover a Massage?

Can Insurance Cover a Massage? For many people, the use of massage therapy is to treat chronic injuries, pains or other problems in their body. The most common forms of this, is to treat health …

Can Insurance Cover a Massage?

For many people, the use of massage therapy is to treat chronic injuries, pains or other problems in their body. The most common forms of this, is to treat health conditions such as insomnia, TMJ, anxiety, muscle tension, and nerve pain. And due to the fact that there is medical evidence that massage therapy producing great benefits, such as reduced stress levels, improved blood flow, and reduced bodily pains, you would sure hope that your insurance could help you out a little. Which leaves many people asking “Can Insurance Cover a Massage?“

The answer is yes, depending on a few things. Certain insurance policies will help cover massage therapy, but in some scenarios, only certain insurance lenders offer this coverage. And from there, certain insurance plans have restrictions put in place on the coverage of a massage. If you have any questions over what policies you need, and if there are any restrictions in place, it is best to ask your insurance agent.

The most common forms of these restrictions are based on who is conducting the massage therapy, as well as time limits. By this, we mean that your insurance policy may only cover your massage therapy, if the therapy is conducted by a licensed chiropractic doctor. And even then, the insurance may only cover the first 15 minutes of the therapy session. But if you find yourself asking, “Can Insurance Cover a Massage?” Then getting any amount of insurance help on the matter, is more than welcome!

Can Insurance Cover a Massage

Can Insurance Cover a Massage Prescribed by a Doctor?

Any time you are prescribed something by a doctor, that is always a good sign towards insurance helping cover it, the same goes for massage therapy. If you are suffering from any of the following conditions, it is very likely that your doctor will prescribe massage therapy for treatment:

If have these health conditions, and see a doctor, it is likely that they may prescribe massage therapy for your recover. But the important question is, Can Insurance Cover a Massage? And once again, the answer is yes. But, be aware that no tall policies have the coverage, and not all insurance agents even offer this coverage. And if they do, there may be some restriction in place, as mentioned above.

Can Insurance Cover a Massage by Non-Doctors Orders?

In some cases, where you are needing massage therapy to heal from an injury occurred at work, or in other words, under workers compensation, insurance can help cover the massage therapy. Another reason your insurance may help cover massage therapy, is if the injury being worked on occurred during a motor vehicle accident.

How Can Insurance Cover a Massage?

Massage therapy is an effective treatment option for helping people recover from a wide range of physical and mental issues. It has even been backed by many studies and reports. However, that does not mean all insurance companies have made it easy to get massage therapy covered.

This issue stems from the process of filing. While doctors and physicians can relativity easily send in their files to insurance companies, it is very difficult for massage therapists. This is where the restriction of only getting your massage therapy from a licensed chiropractic doctor, comes from. They can much more easily file the sessions to your insource company.

If you have questions over if your insurance coverage has the policy available, if you have the policy, or if they even offer it, then you should call your insurance agent. They will also be able to tell you if there are any restrictions on the coverage, as well as how your massage therapist, if allowed to use them, can file your sessions. At the end of the day, your insurance agent is the expert on the matter, and will have all the answers you need.

Steps to Get Insurance Coverage for a Massage

massage therapist doing massage to smiling woman on massage table in clinicIf you have called your insurance agent, and discovered that your insurance policy does indeed cover your massage therapy, then there are some steps you will need to take in order to get your insured massage therapy.

Step 1 – You will need to identify your medical condition and injury. This is important, as to prove you need the medical massage therapy, you will need to be diagnosed with a health condition that will benefit from massage therapy.

Step 2 – Check your insurance rules and regulations. These are the restrictions that we have been talking about. You will want to see if there is a specific type of therapist you need to see, like a licensed chiropractic doctor, or if a massage therapist is fine. In addition, you will want to see if your insurance covers the full time you are in session, or if they just cover part of the time.

Step 3 – Talk to your primary care provider. In many health plans and other HMOs, this doctor must be the one to refer you to this type of medical therapy. In addition to getting the referral, you should also check what other treatments you should be doing alongside your massage therapy.

Step 4 – Make sure the referral has been obtained. Before you can start any medical therapy, including massage therapy, you must first make sure your primary care physician’s office has released the referral. They can release the referral to you, or even directly to your specialist and your insurance company.

Step 5 – Carefully keep all your records. In some cases, your insurance company may come back in the future and ask for a copy of your referral, date ranges of your treatment therapy sessions, and other facts. It is best for you to keep these documents on file, either physically or electronically. Doing so will help fix any issues, as well as help streamline the process for getting your coverage or eventual payment by your insurance company.

Can Insurance Cover a Massage, in Summary

massage on insuranceThe simple answer is yes, your insurance can cover a massage. However, there are certain stipulations you much watch out for. Some insurance companies do not offer a massage cover policy, and if they do, there may be restrictions to getting your massage therapy covered. It is always a good idea to call your insurance agent, to answer all of your questions. In addition, they can point you in the right direction as well as give you all the steps you need to complete to ensure everything is good on your end. So, Can Insurance Cover a Massage? Yes, but with everything in life, there are certain things you need to be aware of first.

This article was sponsored by Chris Lile, State Farm Agent in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Chris specializes in Auto, Home, Business, Property, Life and Health Insurance. You can visit Chris’s page here to learn more about him and his insurance coverage.