Comments on: The State of Billing Insurance in Washington State. http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/ Explorations in the Theory and Practice of Massage and Bodywork Sat, 30 Aug 2008 03:57:28 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Julie Onofrio http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-10 Julie Onofrio Fri, 21 Apr 2006 16:12:08 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-10 In every state you can bill for Workmans Compensation and for Motor Vehicle accidents. With both of those you can ususally bill whatever you want and get paid which means you can make more than double or triple your regular cash fee. That's what most chiros are doing...making a bundle on the extra amount they can get. They may be billing under their chiro license - which may be unethical but the reason most do it is because they can. Our profession is not strong enough to stand up for itself and create definitions of medical massage and we don't have the manpower to stand up to such chiropractors and get them to recognize massage for what it is as a profession. We will be constantly be taken advantage of until we have a stronger force. Right now we are divided into three main massage professions who are all fighting over what is right for us....doesn't look good for being a profession who others will respect. In every state you can bill for Workmans Compensation and for Motor Vehicle accidents. With both of those you can ususally bill whatever you want and get paid which means you can make more than double or triple your regular cash fee. That’s what most chiros are doing…making a bundle on the extra amount they can get.

They may be billing under their chiro license - which may be unethical but the reason most do it is because they can. Our profession is not strong enough to stand up for itself and create definitions of medical massage and we don’t have the manpower to stand up to such chiropractors and get them to recognize massage for what it is as a profession. We will be constantly be taken advantage of until we have a stronger force. Right now we are divided into three main massage professions who are all fighting over what is right for us….doesn’t look good for being a profession who others will respect.

]]> By: Sarah http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-9 Sarah Fri, 21 Apr 2006 13:43:45 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-9 Nearly every week I have a client tell me that their Chiropractor has a Massage Therapist and they will bill insurance for it. However, in my state there is no insurance company that will pay a Massage Therapist for massage and there is no benefit in the policy for it. Chiropractors in my state have hired MT's and forced them to become a Chiro Assistant and then bill the insurance company for manual therapies performed by the CA, when they are actually doing body part massage. This hurts our profession and it is unethical. The insurance company will not let you become a provider and will not discuss another provider with you. This gives the public the wrong idea about massage as well. No chiropractor wants the MT to be more effective than them for relieving the patients ailments, however massaging the body part in question will make the Chiros adjustment go better. Someone please tell me why this is being allowed to happen. Nearly every week I have a client tell me that their Chiropractor has a Massage Therapist and they will bill insurance for it. However, in my state there is no insurance company that will pay a Massage Therapist for massage and there is no benefit in the policy for it. Chiropractors in my state have hired MT’s and forced them to become a Chiro Assistant and then bill the insurance company for manual therapies performed by the CA, when they are actually doing body part massage. This hurts our profession and it is unethical. The insurance company will not let you become a provider and will not discuss another provider with you. This gives the public the wrong idea about massage as well. No chiropractor wants the MT to be more effective than them for relieving the patients ailments, however massaging the body part in question will make the Chiros adjustment go better. Someone please tell me why this is being allowed to happen.

]]> By: Julie Onofrio http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-8 Julie Onofrio Sun, 09 Apr 2006 02:06:46 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-8 You can still make money if you are billing for MVA's and L&I. It is just when you become a provider with companies like Blue cross/blue shield that we start getting paid less. I think it is only a matter of time before it hits the MVA claims...how long is hard to say... If you are good people will also pay you even if you aren't able to bill. There are other injuries besides MVA's. WA and FL are the only two states where you can become a provider so it doesn't really matter how much training you have...you won't get paid or will rarely. Let me know if someone has other information than that. You can still make money if you are billing for MVA’s and L&I. It is just when you become a provider with companies like Blue cross/blue shield that we start getting paid less.
I think it is only a matter of time before it hits the MVA claims…how long is hard to say…
If you are good people will also pay you even if you aren’t able to bill. There are other injuries besides MVA’s.
WA and FL are the only two states where you can become a provider so it doesn’t really matter how much training you have…you won’t get paid or will rarely.

Let me know if someone has other information than that.

]]> By: Debra http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-7 Debra Sun, 09 Apr 2006 01:55:22 +0000 http://thebodyworker.com/massage_blog/the-state-of-billing-insurance-in-washington-state/#comment-7 I am researching whether to become an insurance provider. After reading several posts and website articles, the idea I was so excited about in the beginning is now waning. I don't want to be paid less for the advanced services I offer. I am a medical massage therapist. I have spent a ton of money and time to be able to provide the highest level of care possible to my clients. I deserve what I charge my clients. But, having said that, I have just moved to a new state where I must start over again. Georgia is not a regulated state. The sex trade has co-opted the MT profession to appear legitimate and the public perception of MT is stll in the dark ages. How do I stand out from the people who aren't Medical MTs, who are under-trained and not licensed? I thought being an insurance provider would do that. Given the current circumstances, doesn't it make sense to become a provider? Or am I grasping at straws? I am researching whether to become an insurance provider. After reading several posts and website articles, the idea I was so excited about in the beginning is now waning. I don’t want to be paid less for the advanced services I offer. I am a medical massage therapist. I have spent a ton of money and time to be able to provide the highest level of care possible to my clients. I deserve what I charge my clients.

But, having said that, I have just moved to a new state where I must start over again. Georgia is not a regulated state. The sex trade has co-opted the MT profession to appear legitimate and the public perception of MT is stll in the dark ages. How do I stand out from the people who aren’t Medical MTs, who are under-trained and not licensed? I thought being an insurance provider would do that. Given the current circumstances, doesn’t it make sense to become a provider? Or am I grasping at straws?

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