What is Medical Massage Therapy?

Many people ask the question…What is Medical Massage Therapy?

Medical Massage Therapy is the therapeutic application of specific massage therapy protocols for particular conditions, evaluated and diagnosed by a physician.

Major insurance carriers such as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna, UNICARE and Kaiser are now covering Medical Massage Therapy, along with other rehabilitation therapy services such as Chiropractic and Acupuncture.

A National Provider Identification (NPI) number can be distributed to any licensed massage therapist that meets the qualifications on the application.

Once an NPI number is obtained, a massage therapist can then join a claims processing network, or manually submit insurance claims themselves.

Claims processing networks like American Specialty Health, http://www.americanspecialtyhealth.com, assist in processing insurance claims for most major insurance carriers (such as the ones mentioned previously).

According to the massage therapy requirements agreed upon by insurance companies contracted with American Specialty Health, a licensed massage therapist can bill insurance for a massage, as long as they have a doctor’s referral and can show some improvement in a patient’s condition as a result of massage therapy services.

Most insurance plans include a set amount of massages per year with a doctor’s referral.

However, some offer a set number of massages per year without a doctor’s referral; as long as the therapist is in the network.

In order to determine which massage therapy coverage (if any) your plan includes, contact your insurance company at the 1-800 number on the back of the insurance card.

Medical massage is deemed necessary for patients with the following conditions:

• Sciatica
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Piriformis syndrome
• Muscle cramps
• TMJ
• Edema (swelling)
• Bodily traumas due to injuries such as falls and automobile accidents
• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome (numbness and tingling in the arms and hands)
• Plantar fasciitis (severe pain in the foot)
• Pain associated with bulged or injured spinal disks
• Range of motion problems
• Back and neck spasticity
• Pain associated with restricted fascia
• Migraines and headaches
• Restless Legs Syndrome
• Work and Auto Injuries
• Sports injuries
• Repetitive injures like tennis elbow and Golfer’s elbow
• Pain associate with postural imbalances
• Constipation
• Pain associated with pregnancy

World Therapy Center (WTC) of Atlanta, Georgia, is a premium provider of Medical Massage Therapy. WTC accepts several insurance plans through Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia, Aetna, UNICARE and Kaiser.

World Therapy Center also provides rehabilitation services for Medicaid and Medicare; as a member of one of the largest claims processing networks, American Specialty Health.

In addition to health insurance, they also bill for Personal Injury and Workers Compensation Claims as well.

For more information on medical massage therapy log on to World Therapy Center’s website at http://www.worldtherapycenter.com/services.html.