Clients who have FSA or HSA credit or debit cards can use them to cover the cost of their health-related massage treatments now that therapeutic massage is more commonly acknowledged as a valid medical service by many insurance providers. While most health plans explicitly define which medical expenses are covered, we recommend taking the steps below to assure coverage.
Request that your healthcare provider make a referral for therapeutic massage service that includes the following details:
The number of treatments OR the recommended frequency and length (for example, ‘at least two sessions per month for a period of 12 months’).
Request an itemized receipt for your therapeutic massage sessions from our office. We’ll create a personalized receipt to support your claim for FSA/HSA coverage or reimbursement, along with any therapist treatment notes, if applicable.
While Elements Massage in Timonium does not accept insurance cards, does not bill insurance companies directly, and does not process insurance claims, we will support your efforts to find a low-cost, health-related massage to keep you healthy and feeling your best.
Are massages ever covered by insurance?
Insurance companies do not have to cover massage expenditures as a matter of course. Massage treatment may be covered if the massage is deemed medically essential and/or meets the insurer’s definition and criteria for coverage. To be sure, check with your doctor and your insurance company.
Does element massage accept HSA?
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) can now be used to pay for your session at Elements Therapeutic Massage!
Check with your employer to see if massage therapy services are covered by your FSA/HSA account, and let us know when you come in for your session.
Your hard-earned pre-tax cash can assist in the purchase of a deeply pleasant and stress-relieving massage.
These accounts can also be used for our wellness program. For further information, please contact one of our Front Desk Representatives.
How much do you tip at Elements massage?
Q.I get this question all the time from clients who want to do the right thing but don’t know what that is.
Elements Massage Therapists, like restaurant servers, add tips into their pay.
A standard gratuity, similar to that in a restaurant, is between 10% and 25% of the service’s worth.
(For example, if you want to tip 20% on a 79-dollar 55-minute massage, you’d leave $16.)
If you thought it was fantastic, leave more; if you thought there was something missing that the therapist could have addressed, leave less.)
A.The same reason why tipping in restaurants exists.
You can get your food from a vending machine.
A great waiter can accurately execute your order, keep your wine glass filled, and/or persuade your exhausted seven-year-old to “taste the chicken fingers.”
Servers that deliver your meal as if it were a vending machine should not be overpaid.
Servers that go above and above to make your dining experience fantastic should be compensated for their efforts.
We think all of our massage therapists are fantastic, but we leave the tipping system in place so that you, the client, may express them how much you appreciate them with your gratuity.
What category does massage therapy fall under for insurance?
Massage treatment coverage is a popular health insurance benefit that many people use on a daily basis.
Is massage therapy, however, a legitimate health insurance benefit? And how much coverage does a typical health insurance plan give for certified massage therapists?
What is Massage Therapy?
Massage therapy is simply the act of massaging a patient in order to promote wellness and healing.
When we talk about massage therapy in the context of insurance coverage, we always mean massage done by a licensed massage therapist (i.e. a person who has studied and received accreditation for therapeutic massage).
Massage therapy is classed as a paramedical benefit, which also covers treatment by chiropractors, psychiatrists, and physiotherapists (to name just a few).
Medical Benefits of Massage Therapy
- It has been discovered to be an effective back pain treatment (especially for the lower back). 1
- It promotes circulation in both the massaged area and the rest of the body.
- It can be used to help patients’ immune systems by raising their white blood cell count.
- 2
- It can aid in the improvement of sleeping habits, particularly in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
- It can also help to relieve physical tension, which has a variety of detrimental health consequences.
Massage therapy is commonly used to treat both chronic and acute medical issues that can arise as a result of accident or sickness.
Provincial Healthcare Coverage for Massage Therapy
The universal Canadian healthcare system is built on provincial healthcare programs including OHIP, AHCIP, and MSI (for more information, see How Does Canadian Healthcare Work?).
However, many publicly sponsored healthcare plans only cover medically required services. As a result, public health insurance does not cover most certified massage treatment.
Massage therapy received in a hospital and deemed vital for a patient’s recovery may be an exemption to this rule.
Employee Benefits Coverage for Massage Therapy
Employee benefits and individual health insurance plans are the two main types of private health insurance in Canada.
Employee benefits are also referred to as: “Group insurance” is what it’s called, and it’s something you get via your job. When you leave your work, you lose your benefits coverage as well.
Massage therapy is just one of the services covered under what is known as “paramedical” advantages Chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, naturopaths, and speech therapy are all included under paramedical coverage, as previously stated.
- In most cases, there is no “per visit” limit (unlike a personal health insurance plan).
- Annual plan maximums apply to each form of paramedical coverage, limiting coverage (e.g. one maximum per coverage type).
- Employee benefit maximums are, on average, higher than individual health plan maximums.
Individual Health Insurance Coverage for Massage Therapy
Health insurance for individuals is often known as “family health insurance” or “personal health insurance.” It is not earned through an employer, but rather on an individual basis.
Individual health plans, like group insurance, classify massage therapy as a paramedical benefit.
Individual plans, unlike group insurance, frequently have “per visit” maximums, and some also have a limit number of visits per year.
Massage therapy is covered by the following personal health insurance plans:
- The amount of coverage is governed by the annual plan maximums (often applied to all paramedical services lumped together).
- Massage therapy requires a doctor’s referral in most personal health plans. Manulife’s Flexcare and FollowMe plans, on the other hand, do not require a reference until you reach your third year of coverage.
Massage Therapy Usage and Claims Abuse
The use of massage therapy is a very common insurance benefit. According to the Sanofi Canada Healthcare Survey conducted in 2016, nearly half of the plan members polled had submitted at least one claim for massage therapy during the previous benefit year.
While massage therapy is sometimes medically necessary for a person’s recovery from an illness or injury, many claims are undoubtedly made by people who simply enjoy receiving a massage and having it covered by their group insurance plan.
Is this, however, true claim abuse? It all depends on whoever you speak with. On the one hand, massage provides a variety of health benefits, and having healthier and happy employees should be worth something to the firm covering the majority (or all) of the expense.
When it comes to renewal time, most employee benefits plans, on the other hand, consider the claims amount. The higher the volume of claims, the higher the premiums will be. As a result, massage therapy claims for non-existent ailments or illnesses will result in higher rates.
Maybe we could let the people who pay the bill select whether or not they want to pay for all massage therapy, regardless of whether it is “medically necessary”? Think about it!
Does Medicare pay for massages?
- Massage therapy is considered an alternative treatment by Medicare. That is to say, it is not covered by standard Medicare (parts A and B).
- Some types of therapy, such as physical therapy and acupuncture, are covered by Medicare Part B for specific diseases.
- Some massage therapy charges may be covered by Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans. You’ll need orders from your doctor in those circumstances to get coverage.
Massage therapy is a treatment that manipulates your body’s soft tissues. It’s commonly taken for relaxation, but it can also help with some health issues.
Massage therapy is classified as a “alternative treatment” by Medicare, meaning it is not considered medically required. That’s why massage treatment sessions aren’t covered by Medicare Parts A and B.
Massage therapies, on the other hand, may be covered by some Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans.
Is massage a part of physical therapy?
While massage and soft tissue mobilization are common in physical therapy, don’t expect your therapist to massage you. Other methods of treatment may not be able to overcome the underlying barrier to restoring full range of motion and soft tissue mobility, as your body may be indicating.
What should you not do during a massage?
- Request that your massage therapist accompany you to a movie or visit your home. We make every effort to maintain a professional relationship with our customers. That is to say, we like to visit you alone in a professional atmosphere. If your request is overly suggestive, we will decline the offer and recommend that you see a different massage therapist.
- Noises that are excessive. Noises are unavoidable. When something feels fantastic, you moan. Please don’t look at us while you’re doing it (yes, this has happened), and be aware that if you’re loud enough, the adjoining rooms may hear you as well. Please keep in mind that if that’s all you do the entire time, we could assume you’re attempting to get more value out of the massage than you’re paying for.
- Make a remark on our appearance. We are significantly more sensitive to certain praises as a result of years of deception in our field. While we are professional in every massage, we can’t help but question if you are attempting to change the professional relationship by commenting on how we appear.
- To let us know you’re ready, poke your head out of the room. We appreciate how quickly you prepare for your massage. The issue is that we also need to be prepared for the massage. This could entail getting a drink of water, going to the toilet, or simply making sure you don’t feel rushed to get to the table. Also, yelling down the corridor isn’t soothing for our other massage clients, so please wait for your massage therapist to return to the room and begin your treatment.
- While we’re still in the room, start undressing. Again, we must leave the room before you begin disrobing in order to maintain a professional connection. To ensure that each customer is always at ease, we only reveal what we’re working on while we’re working on it. Disrobing before we leave the room exposes areas we aren’t currently working on, and it distracts us from listening to what you need for that session.
- Please get in touch with us. We put our hands on you. We don’t want you to get too close to us. That’s when things start to become strange. And it’s inconvenient. Again, we may believe you’re attempting to change the professional relationship.
- Expect us to offer you your whole time if you arrive late. This includes arriving up on time but taking a 15-minute phone call or talking to us about anything and everything, stopping us from getting started on time. We want to get you started as soon as possible. You should expect your whole time if we start late due to the Massage Therapist’s tardiness, but not if you arrive late.
- Disregard our company’s policies and rules, as well as our limits. We appreciate talking to our customers and getting to know them. We genuinely believe that. And there are some topics about which we are hesitant to speak with our clients. We currently have no control on what we need to do to reopen after the COVID shutdown, thus we don’t want to hear your thoughts on it. We don’t appreciate talking about religion, politics, or other topics that can lead to conflict. It’s not that we aren’t capable folks with strong opinions. It’s because the relationship we’re forming with you is one of business. We want to keep it going by avoiding talks that take us away from our main goal of making you feel better.
It’s true that bringing these up can be awkward. No, we’re not calling anyone out, and if you’ve done one of these things, we don’t want you to feel uncomfortable in your next session. We just believe that outlining everything makes it apparent to both parties what is anticipated during a massage.
Now here is what our massage therapists promise you:
- During a session, we will pay attention to your demands and modify the massage to meet them.
- We leave a 30-minute delay between massages to ensure that you get your whole time.
- We will preserve professional boundaries, resulting in a long-term professional relationship with you.
Professional connections may be hard, especially when you have a lot of in common with someone. We do want you to share whatever you choose about yourself and your life with us. We also want to keep a safe space between us and them. Please don’t hesitate to inquire if you have any queries about massage etiquette or what not to say or do during your next massage.
How much do you tip for a $50 massage?
For a $50 massage, how much should you tip? For a massage, the typical tipping amount is 20%. You can tip $10 for a $50 massage.
How much should I tip for a 30 minute massage?
Hao Meng, Senior Vice President of Operations at Soothe, a mobile massage firm, shared her observations on tipping.
“We propose tipping 15% to 20% based on the comfort and contentment of each client with the massage,” Meng said.
Fortunately for Soothe, its customers have raised the average tipping ratio from 18 to 20% in 2021.
Of course, the tipping amount is determined by the price and the client’s opinion of the massage’s quality.
Catie Morgan, a licensed massage therapist (LMT) at Amara Massage Therapy & Wellness in Fort Collins, Colorado, said tipping is “slightly developing” in her opinion.
“If a client is going to tip, I believe the appropriate amount should always be established by them,” Morgan added.
It’s alright to provide clients a tip chart, but it’s not okay for the massage therapist to set a predefined tip amount, according to her. Morgan, on the other hand, has enough experience in the service sector to tip any service provider.
“I personally tip between 25 and 40 percent to all service providers,” she stated. “I don’t set an appointment or proceed with the service unless I can give at least a 25% tip, but that’s just me!”