Billing Insurance Companies
There is such a double edged sword with billing insurance companies…
On one hand we need to make a living and for the most part, mva insurance pays reasonably well. It is not the case for HMO’s and PPO’s in which massage therapists here in WA state are able to be providers…
They pay less than my going rate and take a long time to pay. They are constantly lowering the amount they pay and constantly lowering benefits.
The thing is do we really even want to be a part of the medical system that is only out to make money for themselves and not care for clients????
I wrote a guest editorial last year on just that topic that you can read online at my website- www.thebodyworker.com
I am starting to think that wanting to be part of such networks that don’t respect and value our work will continue to devalue the profession as a whole. We really need to become more active and stand up for ourselves, but we really don’t have a unified and strong enough profession having 3 different main professional associations with differences of opinions…
What do you think about billing insurance companies?
Why do you think you need to do that for your clients rather than working on clients who already value your work and are willing to pay cash for your services?
August 29th, 2006 at 2:21 pm
Julie,
I do not do insurance work and really do not want to accept insurance.
Here’s some reasons why I don’t:
It takes away the personal responsibility for an individuals’ wellness.
“Sure I’ll pay for my hair & nails, but not my massage”
Insurance artificially inflates the “cost” of massage, making it even mo
more expensive for those that do NOT have insurance.
Insurance “insures” that more massage therapists work for chiropractors
and work for less money than they deserve.
August 29th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Great comments!!