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Integrated Medical Massage News
News reports and comments on the massage business in the Michigan area, as well as information
on the Integrated Medical Massage.
Prescription versus Self-Refer
You always need a prescription for medical massage, even if your plan says you can self-refer. Here's
why; it's not in my scope of practice as a massage therapist to diagnose, yet the insurance billing forms require a diagnosis
code before they will pay. If I were to just make up a diagnosis code and put it on the form, I could probably get paid, but
I'd be breaking the law and putting my cherished massage license at risk. So I always need a prescription from your doctor
before commencing medical massage treatments. Also, virtually all insurance policies now require that massage be "medically
necessary," which is another judgment that is outside of my scope of practice, and they almost all require a "formal, written
treatment plan" from your doctor.
Unfortunately, the different arms of the typical insurance company don't do a good job of communicating
with each other and/or they don't understand the laws regarding the scope of practice for massage therapists, so you are very
likely to get a customer service rep on the phone insisting that you don't need a prescription or referral to get them to
pay for your massage. Sorry, but that's just not correct.
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