Insurance and Manual Therapy

Clients frequently ask, “Do you take insurance?” The simple answer is yes and no. Manual therapy is covered under many insurance policies, but not all. Several of my current clients get bodywork reimbursed by their insurance company. To make it easier, Charlotte Athletic Club is set up to take payments via FSA/ HSA debit cards. If you wish to get bodywork covered under your insurance policy, here are some general steps to take.

Step 1

Call your healthcare provider and ask them if massage therapy or manual therapy is covered under your policy. If it is, there will be a CPT Code that designates the therapy. CPT Codes are like prescription names. The one that it used most often for my work is CPT Code 97140. Below are some common codes used for massage and bodywork.

  • CPT Code 97112 Neuromuscular Therapy
  • CPT Code 97124 Massage Therapy (Basic Swedish Massage)
  • CPT Code 97140 Manual Therapy (Advanced Massage Therapy Techniques)

Step 2

Talk to your prescribing physician. This could be a general practitioner, nurse practitioner, orthopedist or surgeon. Tell them about your problem and ask them if they think manual therapy is a potential solution. If so, tell them you would like to try my services. Next, they will need to write a prescription using a CPT Code and designate the amount of sessions. For instance, they could write a prescription for five sessions. My typical sessions are 90 minutes long. In that case you would be covered for five 90 minutes sessions.

Note: Make sure you hold on to the prescription. I would recommend scanning it. You may need to submit it for reimbursement.

Step 3

Make an appointment. If you know you’ll be coming to see me on a weekly basis for a few weeks or more, I would suggest booking all of your sessions ahead of time.

Step 4

After each appointment, you will request an invoice detailing the session. The invoice should be marked “Paid in full” and the appropriate CPT Code will be listed on the invoice. You must then submit this invoice along with your prescription to your insurance company. Depending on your insurance policy, you will be reimbursed the appropriate amount. That’s it! You may have to jump through a few hoops, but it could be worth hundreds. If your prescribing physician has questions about how my therapy can help, they are welcome to call or email.