Make sure your massage therapy is covered by insurance. Find out if Medicare covers treatment costs for tight muscles and back pain. Costs, insurance coverage and prescriptions vary depending on the medical massage provider, so it's always best to check before scheduling. At The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center Comprehensive Health Center, we need a prescription whenever a patient plans to bill through their health insurance or wants to use their flexible spending account or health savings account to pay the service.
Patients have the option of paying on their own without a prescription. Learn the facts and evaluate the benefits and risks of seeking insurance reimbursement at your massage therapy office. Despite its proven benefits, massage therapy is often classified as an alternative treatment, so many insurance plans don't cover it. In this blog, we describe strategies to improve your chances of getting an insurance refund.
Insurance coverage for medical massage varies depending on your specific plan and the circumstances surrounding the treatment. While some insurance policies include massage therapy, coverage is often linked to medical need. This means that the therapy must be prescribed by a healthcare provider to treat a specific condition or for medical reasons, such as pain management, recovery from injury or chronic illness. Massage therapy can be a valuable component of health care, but ensuring insurance coverage for physical therapy often requires a clear understanding of the process. However, many insurers only consider massage therapy to be necessary during the acute phase of treatment, and not as ongoing therapy.
Medical massage therapy differs from general massage therapy because it is designed for specific medical conditions. Therapists who work in a medical environment have usually undergone continuous training to obtain advanced certifications; however, there is no line that truly defines massage therapy in the industry between massage therapy and medical or therapeutic massage therapy.
