Medical Billing For Massage Therapists

Is Billing Insurance The Right Move For Your Massage Practice

Theres no doubt that massage clients would love it if their insurance paid for your services. For some of them, thats a real possibility. However, in many cases, massage therapy is not covered by insurance.

The first thing you need to research is which providers cover massage therapy in your area. Coverage for massage therapy varies by region and provider. For instance, in some Canadian provinces, massage therapy is a common benefit. In the United States, coverage for massage therapy is not typical. However, thats slowly changing. There are a few insurance plans that cover massage therapy. Workers’ compensation and auto insurance also cover massage therapy.

Do you have time for massage billing? Billing insurance takes time and paperwork, sometimes A LOT of it. Its not unusual to have to send claims multiple times before its accepted. Payment is not guaranteed. Some claims will be denied. The time you spend on massage billing is not billable time.

Can you accept less than your full rate? Its possible that all or part of your claim will be denied. If that happens, youll receive less than what you billed for. Its up to you to bill your patient for the remaining balance.

Finally, are you treating patients who have prescriptions for massage therapy? Massage therapists are not licensed to diagnose or prescribe. This means massage therapy must be prescribed by a MD, DO, or chiropractor to qualify.

Are Massages Tax Deductible

In some instances, you can itemize your massages as tax deductions. Generally, your total medical expenses need to be at least 7.5 percent of your income to qualify as a tax deduction, though some exceptions may apply. Your doctor should also prescribe massages for your condition as part of a physical therapy program.

Insurance And Massage: Can Insurance Pay For Massage Therapy

When someones suffering from chronic pain, acute injury, or high levels of stress and anxiety, massage can be a powerful tool to aid in recovery and general wellness. As a massage therapist, youre already well aware of this. You see patients come in with a wide variety of issues everything from a back spasm to trauma-related injuries and help them get back on their feet with the power of massage.

As a practitioner of massage, youre always looking to offer your services to as many clients as possible. But, the act of broadening your ability to help a larger range of clients can take different forms. On the one hand, you can focus massage therapy continuing education courses. By learning about specific techniques like sports massage and deep tissue massage, youll be able to provide a greater variety of services to your clients which can translate to more clients served at the end of the day. As an aside: when working on continuing education, its important to ensure that your massage CEUs come from an NCBTMB approved provider in order to ensure their acceptance by your states massage therapy licensing board.

This is one way to think of widening the scope of your practice. But, theres another approach you can take if you want to see more clients. Rather than requiring all of your clients to pay for services rendered out of pocket, you might consider offering clients the option of billing their health insurance provider for reimbursement of the cost of their visit.

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Billing For Car Accidents

You can also bill auto insurance policies for massage when someone was in a collision with a car/vehicle. In WA State, Personal Injury Protection is required or they may also choose not to have that protection if they can prove they have health insurance that will cover the massage up front. The problem with that is that many of the health insurance companies have limits to the number of sessions that can be done and their allowable fees are usually lower.

To learn how to bill for motor vehicle collisions you may need totake a class. There are many attorneys in WA State who will teach theseclasses to massage therapists. Adler Giersh is one of the most popular and they are a big supporter of massage here.

Youcan also learn some of the basics of billing insurance in my Book -Insurance Billing Manual for massage therapists available on my other site – www.massagepracticebuilder.com

I also have a meetup.com groupthat meets regularly to talk about various issues and offers shortclasses on various topics like massage insurance billing in WA State.

If you are billing insurance in WA State, especially health insurance you will want to be a member of the American Massage Therapy Association WA Chapter. It is really because of this group that we are able to bill insurance. Each year they work to protect our right to bill and are working tokeep ahead of the many changes that occur in legislation and withinsurance issues.

How Do You Prevent Massage Therapy Cpt Code Errors

Correct medical billing and coding massage therapy improve the revenues cycle and reimbursements of the healthcare practice. Modifier 59 can signify that the two services are distinct and separate from one another so that both can be reimbursed. Manual therapy and massage therapy are considered to be linked, which is why modifier 59 should be used to prevent errors like double billing.

https://www.e2emedicalbilling.com/blog/97124-cpt-code-know-your-codes/

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Oriental & Thai Massage Prices

An average Thai Massage costs $30 for 30 minutes and up to $150 for 2 hours in Los Angeles. By comparison, a Thai massage in Boston can average around $60 per hour or up to $230 for a 2-hour Thai massage package, including a foot scrub or another additional treatment.

The term “Oriental massage” is a broad definition that can apply to any modality that came from a country in Asia, including:

• Acupressure based on Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Qigong meridian treatments

What Type Of Massage Do You Specialize In

Before you tell the therapist what your favorite massage style is, ask them what kinds of massage they specialize in. If they don’t automatically mention the type of massage you want, then you’d be better off booking a different therapist who can cater better to your preferences. There is a tremendous difference between specific modalities such as deep tissue and basic reflexology, for example, so don’t trust that any therapist is excellent at every type of modality because that’s generally not the case.

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Keys To Successful Outsourcing

Things to consider:

• What kind of ratings does the company have? Can they provide references from practices in your specialty?
• Responsiveness. How well does the company communicate?
• Qualifications. Do all coders have AAPC, AHIMA, or other certifications?
• How long has the company been in business?
• Technical capabilities. Will they work in your EMR/PM system?
• How big is the team of coders?
• Data Security. Obtain written guarantees of HIPAA and other compliance.
• Cost structure. What scope of services is included? Are costs volume-driven? Are there any hidden add-on fees?
• What types of performance reporting will they provide? Will they help you improve your documentation?
• Service Level Guarantees. Do they offer any service level guarantees in terms of timeliness or accuracy?
• Contract terms. Check termination and other clauses.

Want to learn more and get rate quotes? Fill out the form above to connect with qualified medical coding companies.

Reasons Why You Need A Myofascial Release

• Relief from chronic pain: Dizziness from migraines, headaches, and neck pain are just some of the symptoms that can be treated with myofascial release.
• Aid in recovery from injury: Fractures and dislocations may require surgery and immobilization. Recover faster with myofascial release to help you regain strength & mobility!
• Improve your range of motion: You can experience increased flexibility with lower pain by trying myofascial release.
• Helps plantar fasciitis: Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain. Bone spurs, stress fractures & torn ligaments may also lead to heel pain.
• Reduce Inflammation: Myofascial release can ease swelling, stiffness, soreness, and inflammation by releasing tension throughout the body.
• Restore Energy levels: After a myofascial release session, you will feel energized, ready to take on the world!
• Treats fibromyalgia and carpal tunnel syndrome: Individuals who have been diagnosed with these conditions, then myofascial release can help ease the pain and improve mobility.
• Reduce muscle spasms: Myofascial release will help with any muscle knots and trauma causing spasms or cramps.
• Increase blood flow, lymphatic movement, joint mobility: Allowing all areas of your body like legs, hands, arms, hips, and shoulders to move more freely without restriction.

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Select The Right Site

We help you take the guesswork out of site analysis with a custom algorithm that collects information from our database, compares statistics from similar clinics, and analyzes population, demographics, crime stats, and competition in your target market. You get all the data you need to make an informed choice with confidence.

Choosing an easy-to-access location with ample patient volume and a strong potential for success is essential when opening a new center. We help you take the guesswork out of site analysis with a custom algorithm that collects information from our database, compares statistics from similar clinics, and analyzes population, demographics, crime stats, and competition in your target market.

The Ultimate Ebook For Urgent Care Billing And Operations

In this industry, getting patients in and out fast is your biggest priority. But to be successful, its just as important to manage your billing accurately and efficiently. This guide will help you understand your clinics financial health, differences in coding for non-credentialed providers, common billing errors, and how to stay on top of key performance indicators to support your financial success.

Billing for Non-credentialed and Non-contracted Providers

Get answers to frequently asked questions about how to handle billing for non-credentialed and non-contracted providers

10 KPIs to Watch in Your Urgent Care

KPIs are the vital signs of your clinic and help tell the story of your urgent cares overall financial health. Learn what to measure and how to measure it.

7 Common Missteps in Coding and Billing

Learn the top missteps urgent cares make in coding and billing and how to avoid them. Help your clinic receive the reimbursements youve earned.

Best Practices for Practice Management Software

Get best practices for using your urgent cares Practice Management software during the patient check-in and check-out process.

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How Much Clothing Should You Take Off For A Massage

The only types of massage where you need to be nude or wearing only underwear are typically those that include oils or lotion. In the United States, national regulations state that if you receive a massage while nude, then the therapist must keep your private parts adequately covered with a sheet at all times. Plus, they have to leave the room while you’re changing and while you get dressed afterward, always knocking before they walk in to ensure your privacy. Certain types of massage do not require you to remove any clothing, such as shiatsu, chair massage, or Thai massage.

What Does Manual Treatment Entail

Manual therapy, also known as manipulative therapy, is a type of physical therapy that involves kneading and manipulating muscles, as well as joint mobilization and manipulation. It is primarily used by physical therapists, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists to treat musculoskeletal pain and disability.

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Massage Discounts Offered Through Healthcare Plans

There is a variety of insurance providers that offer their clients discounts for massage therapy.

The American Massage Therapy Association provided a guide on how you can use these discounts.

Usually, companies contract with specific massage therapists.

In most cases, it should be therapists that work in clinical settings and services must be covered liability insurance.

In other words, the healthcare sphere markets massage therapists services.

As you can see an insurance plan may offer massage therapy in the form of reimbursement or as discounts.

For example, according to Kaiser Permanente, most plans include massage therapy only in those cases when it is determined as medically necessary.

There is an opportunity to apply for the Complementary Choices Discount Plan that covers services out of the reimbursement requirements or those out of the allowed number of visits.

Also, Kaiser Permanente claims that all listed massage therapy providers meet the requirements of the organization as well as the state licensing board.

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Massage Therapy Coding Tips:

• Only use one of these codes on a bill 97140 or 97124. Dont use both.
• 97010 hot/cold packs is now mostly bundled with 97124 or 97140 meaning you might not be able to bill a separate fee for this service.
• If you are paid for using an improper code, it doesnt necessarily mean it is acceptable. You are responsible for billing the proper codes.
• Questionable codes are: 97110, 97112, 97530, 97001-97006 . Once in awhile you may find a company that will pay for those. It is still not clear whether a massage therapist is able to use those codes.
• Codes are not restricted to one group of providers. Some try to say that the codes listed above are physical therapy codes. Any procedure code may be used by a qualified provider.
• Know your codes. Know your billing procedures.
• You have to know more than just the codes you need to know how to use them and how to bill to get paid by insurance. To learn more about billing see my book : Massage Insurance Billing: Healthcare Integration and Advocacy. It is important for more massage therapists to start billing insurance for medically based treatments. We currently need more people involved so they know what is happening and who will start taking a stand to get massage therapy the recognition and respect that it deserves.

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Massage Therapy Insurance Reimbursement

Massage therapy is gaining respect in the healthcare community, and this brings perks. The American Massage Therapy Association reports that massage therapy is more likely to be reimbursed by healthcare insurance than it was five years in the past .

Healthcare policies vary a good deal. Among the common requirements: that the treatment be provided for a specific health condition and that a medical practitioner write a prescription. Massage might, for example, be allowable as a pain prescription the healthcare community is very interested in alternatives to narcotic drugs .

Massage therapists should be aware that there is a geographic element to healthcare coverage. Its not just a matter of a persons diagnosis but where he or she lives.

Denial Management & Appeals

10 % of medical revenue is lost due to the lack of an effective Denial Management process. Due to our billers and coders experience and accuracy-driven method, ZMB will help you avoid claim denials. Though, if you have old denied claims pike up, we will assist find reimbursement for them through proper assessment, resubmission, and follow-ups where required. Our team is also skilled in filing appeals describing the conditions that make a claim eligible for reimbursement.

Zee Medical Billing massage therapy billing and coding services have assisted big and small medical establishments across all US states improve their revenues through reduced claim denials and timely reimbursements. Our detail-oriented method and quality consciousness guarantee the precision of details going into claims and higher chances of successful reimbursement.

Get a free no-sting attached billing services quote from ZEE Medical Billing for your practice.

RCM Services as Low as 2.99%

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Do You Have Experience Working With My Health Condition

You should always discuss any chronic health conditions you have with your therapist before the massage begins. If you have any alignment issues or spinal injuries or conditions such as scoliosis for example, then you definitely want to work with a massage therapist who has experience working with these conditions in their past clients.

Get free estimates on Thervo from trusted massage therapists:

Jen K.

Kpi #: Ancillary Revenue Per Visit

Ancillary revenue per visit is how much revenue you receive per visit for procedures and services above the cost of the visit. Urgent cares often have a contracted amount for an office visit E/M code with payersso ancillaries are in addition to that amount. Ancillary charges can be labs, injections, x-rays, or medical equipment.

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Why Effective Massage Therapy Insurance Billing Matters When Treating Patients

When massage therapists deliver treatments, medical billing processes ensure that they receive reimbursements for their care. While medical billing is an integral function of the reimbursement process, it can be very complex the slightest error can delay payments for weeks, if not longer. Ensuring the most accurate medical billing allows medical therapists more time to spend doing what they love delivering care to their patients.

However, balancing your holistic practices insurance enrollments, billing, and coding while delivering care to your patients can be overwhelming. How can you manage them all? By outsourcing your massage therapy insurance billing, your holistic practice can streamline your revenue cycle management and save you the time and energy you can devote to your patients!

As an experienced billing provider for holistic providers, including massage therapists, Holistic Billing Services can help your massage therapy practice navigate the medical billing process to minimize denials and delays so you can increase revenue. With an expert partner by your side, you can focus more on treating patients to help your practice grow rather than worrying about insurance billing. To learn more about our massage therapy billing services, talk to one of our billing and coding experts today.

Reimbursement From Other Payers

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 workers compensation.

The particulars will vary by location and claimant circumstance. State agencies are a resource. The State of Oregon, for example, has published a provider handbook for massage therapists who treat workers compensation claimants who are not enrolled in Managed Care Organizations . In order to be panel compensated for treatment provided to a workers compensation claimant who was enrolled in an MCO, an Oregon massage therapist would need to be an MCO-panel provider. Kaiser Permanente On-The-Job is among the Oregon MCOs.

Pennsylvanians recently won a victory with regard to massage therapy benefits provided through workers compensation .

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