Some Federal Healthcare to Cover Massage Therapy without Proof of Medical Necessity

By Pacific College - May 14, 2015

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 17, 2013

Some Federal Healthcare to Cover Massage Therapy without Proof of Medical Necessity

 

Massage therapy is now eligible for reimbursement from Federal HCFSA health care plans without a Letter of Medical Necessity (LMN), according to the FSAFEDS.

San Diego, Calif. – The Federal Flexible Spending Account (FSAFEDS) program, which serves Executive branch employees and agencies that have adopted the Federal Flexible Benefits Plan (“FedFlex”) added massage therapy to the list of services eligible for reimbursement.

The service was previously listed as a “potentially eligible expense” under the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) – meaning a patient can request reimbursement, but must supply a Letter of Medical Necessity from the practitioner for consideration.

Impact on Massage Therapists and Educational Institutions

The new eligibility no longer requires that document to submit a claim.

“This is great news,” says Deborah Reuss, BS, HHP, NCBTMB, Dean of Department of Asian Holistic Health and Massage at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, San Diego. “This means more massage therapists will be going back to school and acupuncturists going into massage.”

Ruess says the change in coverage will increase enrollment in dual programs.

Services are eligible for reimbursement if they are “rendered by a health care professional appropriately licensed or certified in the state which he or she practices,” and the service is “performed within the scope of the health care practitioner’s license”.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine offers clinic services at all three of its campuses. Services include acupuncture and massage therapy; insurance is accepted.

For more information on clinic services and insurance coverage or Pacific College’s programs, please call 877-764-2694.

About Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

Founded in 1986, with the mission of training primary healthcare providers in the field of Oriental medicine, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is one of the oldest and largest accredited institutions of its kind. Pacific College provides professional training in Oriental medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy, and Chinese herbal medicine.

Campuses are located in San Diego, New York, and Chicago, and feature an esteemed faculty of professors from around the globe that conduct ongoing research and educate more than 1,000 students every year.

Pacific College is accredited by ACAOM and its graduates are eligible for state licensure and national certification

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Pacific College of Health and Science (PCHS) is a leading institution in holistic and integrative healthcare education, deeply rooted in Chinese medicine since 1986. As the largest school of Chinese medicine in the U.S., PCHS offers a wide range of innovative programs, including online and on-campus degrees in holistic nursing, massage therapy, and integrative medicine.

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