Aggregate Statistics
| Total number of Massage Therapists on Do ... | 15 |
| Percentage of Medicare Massage Therapist ... | 100% |
| Medicare Massage Therapists listed on Do ... | 52 year (s) |
| Average ProfilePoints™ score for Massage ... | 33/80 |
| Average Overall User Rating for Massage ... | N/A |
Full Answer
Is Massage Therapy covered by Medicare?
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), the federal government department that administers the Medicare program, recently issued guidelines that named massage therapy as a medically-approved, non-opioid treatment alternative.
Can massage therapy help insurance companies save money?
Massage therapy could help insurance companies save money in the area of Pain Management. Massage therapy’s role in integrative health care has become widely accepted in major hospitals and in daily medical practice. A wealth of research has also shown the impact of massage therapy for pain management and relief.
Is massage therapy a medical treatment?
The Mayo Clinic defines massage therapy as “a complementary treatment that involves manipulating the body’s soft tissues.” Massage therapy, in order to be classified as a medical treatment, must provided by licensed and certified massage professionals.
Does Medicare cover physical therapy?
Medicare coverage is available for other types of therapy, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology therapy.
Does Medicare pay massage therapy?
Medicare doesn't cover massage therapy. You pay 100% for non-covered services, including massage therapy.
Does Medicare cover massage devices?
Medicare does not cover MedMassager devices at this time. Depending on your plan, private insurance may reimburse you for all or part of the purchase of the massager, typically dependent on a specific medical condition and doctors recommendation deeming medical massagers necessary.
Does Medicare cover massage therapy for back pain?
For the majority of Medicare recipients, massage therapy is not covered by Medicare. Medicare Part A and Part B require that all covered services are medically necessary, and they generally do not find massage therapy to fit in that category because it is considered an alternative treatment.
Does Medicare cover massage for arthritis?
Although Medicare currently doesn't cover most massage therapy services, that could change as its role evolves as an accepted medical treatment. The good news is that even if your Medicare Advantage plan doesn't offer massage therapy benefits, you may still be able to get affordable treatment.
Will insurance cover a massage gun?
Fortunately, nontraditional treatments like the Theragun may qualify as a medical expense. That means that pretax health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) funds can pay for these alternatives if used to treat a specific condition.
Does Medicare cover lymphedema massage therapy?
Medically necessary hands-on MLD is a covered Medicare service and is coded using CPT® 97140 for manual therapy.
Is myofascial release covered by Medicare?
Most patients and massage therapists are not aware of the fact that "massage therapy" and/or "manual therapy techniques/myofascial release" is a covered service by most insurers, including Medicare and self-insured employer plans which fall under the Federal guidelines of ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act) ...
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield cover massages?
Massage therapy (pooled with other therapies) is covered for up to 60 times a year for up to 90 minutes a session with no copay after you meet your deductible.
What is myofascial release therapy?
Myofascial release therapy is a massage technique that focuses on relieving pain in your myofascial tissues. These are the thick connective tissues that support your muscles.
Does Medicare cover CPT code 97124?
Services that do not meet the requirements for covered therapy services in Medicare manuals are not payable using codes and descriptions as therapy services.
Does Tricare for life cover massage therapy?
TRICARE doesn't cover massages.
Under which part of Medicare do you have the option for plans that cover OTC medications?
So do Medicare beneficiaries have any options for coverage of over-the-counter (OTC) medications? As it turns out, some Medicare Advantage (Medicare Part C) plans may provide allowances for OTC drugs and other products.
What is massage therapy?
Massage therapy is a therapeutic practice that involves working on the tissues throughout the body. There are a variety of different techniques that can be used for massage, and each carries its own benefits. This type of therapy can be very beneficial for relieving muscle pain, preventing migraines and headaches, eliminating muscle compensations, ...
What are the benefits of massage?
Some of these can include alleviating muscle and joint pain, promoting flexibility, and reducing swelling following an injury or surgical procedure.
How does massage help with scar tissue?
Some techniques are designed to promote total body relaxation, others target specific muscles and problem spots related to sports injuries, and some massage techniques attempt to promote healing by breaking up scar tissue and restoring tissue function. Regardless of the specific technique used, massage therapy has been shown to have a wide range ...
Why is massage important?
Because it is used all over the world, many different techniques have arisen to address certain types of issues.
Is massage therapy covered by Medicare?
For the majority of Medicare recipients, massage therapy is not covered by Medicare. Medicare Part A and Part B require that all covered services are medically necessary, and they generally do not find massage therapy to fit in that category because it is considered an alternative treatment.
Is massage therapy good for back pain?
This can make massage therapy a highly beneficial treatment option for a variety of diseases and conditions. Some of these can include carpal tunnel, lower back pain, arthritis, cancer-related pain, migraine, edema, and more. In addition to physical benefits, massage therapy can carry a number of mental and emotional benefits as well.
What is Massage Therapy?
The Mayo Clinic defines massage therapy as “a complementary treatment that involves manipulating the body’s soft tissues.” Massage therapy, in order to be classified as a medical treatment, must provided by licensed and certified massage professionals.
How Does Medicare Cover Massage Therapy?
Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) doesn’t cover massage therapy. As such, if you receive therapeutic massage services from a massage therapist in the hospital or in an outpatient setting, you will be responsible for 100% of the costs.
Do Medicare Advantage Plans Cover Massage Therapy?
Even though Medicare Advantage is offered by private insurance companies, these insurers still must provide all the same benefits as Original Medicare at a minimum. In many cases, they offer extra benefits to their members.
How many people are on Medicare Advantage in 2019?
The CMS Press release says: Medicare Advantage enrollment is projected to increase to an all-time high from the current enrollment of 20.2 million to 22.6 million in 2019, an 11.5 percent increase compared to 2018. As a result of the new flexibilities on supplemental benefits available for the first time in 2019, ...
Does massage therapy help with pain?
Pain is only one very small part of what massage therapy can help with. As a massage therapist in WA since 1989, I have been able to work with clients and bill their health insurance for many conditions such as: Neck, Shoulder, Back, hip, knee, foot, hand, forearm, leg pain of all sorts.
Is massage therapy a part of integrative care?
Massage therapy’s role in integrative health care has become widely accepted in major hospitals and in daily medical practice. A wealth of research has also shown the impact of massage therapy for pain management and relief. Pain is only one very small part of what massage therapy can help with.
Does Medicare cover massage therapy?
Now What? Having Medicare recognize that massage therapy should be a part of their benefits is a good first step. Other health insurance companies may follow once they see that Medicare approves of massage therapy. If they are only approving it as a part of palliative care, then we have more work to do in that area.
