Are you getting on the phone, ready to schedule a massage and finding that no one is accepting your insurance? That can be very frustrating and disappointing. Especially, when you have been seeing the same therapist for years and you find out that your insurance is no longer being accepted and now you have to pay out of pocket.
Have you noticed that this is becoming a real issue? Apparently, there are several reasons. I say this because I don’t accept insurance, except TriWest. The reason I choose to accept this insurance is because they work with veterans and they are simple to bill.
One of the reasons that you cannot easily find a massage therapist in your area is because insurance companies do not update their provider information on a timely basis. I’m not sure if they do so yearly. I've seen massage therapists report that they are still in the provider list even though they have been retired for years. That is insane.
On top of this, some insurance companies have closed their application process to other healthcare providers. This means that even though their list provides names of retired massage therapists, they are refusing to admit new ones. That technically makes their list of providers even shorter.
Another reason, and this is the biggie, is that some insurance companies have been paying massage therapists the same rate for the past 20 years. Imagine not getting a raise for that long! That is beyond.
Even though I don’t accept insurance in my practice, I wanted to give you a heads up on what’s really going on behind the scenes.
If your insurance covers massage, but you cannot find a massage therapist that accepts your insurance, how is that a benefit?
Feel free to contact your insurance company to make a change.
Any questions or experiences you want to share are welcome. Comment below.