Business Tips

This page welcomes business tip suggestions. Send to massagebyjudy@gmail.com.

Insurance Billing

FSMTA's expert on insurance billing is Vivian Madison-Mahoney, LMT, chair of FSMTA's insurance committee since 1989. Because insurance billing for massage treatments is such a mysterious procedure, we want to provide an introduction so you may utilize her services. See Vivian's website: http://www.massageinsurancebilling.com for more information.

Vivian is a warm, friendly and willing face in the cold and complex world of insurance. First off, to bill for your massage services your client must bring you a physician's prescription. Vivian gives insurance seminars from time to time to help LMTs understand the world of insurance. Vivian's website tells her story:

"I know first-hand the challenges and problems you face beginning your massage practice and incorporating medical referrals and accepting insurance for payment. I began just like you. After about a year of working out-calls at the rate of 6 to 8 (full hour or more) treatments a day, I opened the first massage therapy practice anywehre, to my knowledge, that specialized in injury, disability, physician referrals and insurance-related cases.

Since 1984 I have had hands-on experience, 15 of those years was in owning and operating a 3,900 square foot medically-oriented massage therapy facility, eventually exceeding $500,000 a year in income. All from charging $35.00 to $75.00 per treatment session!  Since then I have been working with massage therapists on their insurance issues on a nationwide basis. We had up to 14 licensed massage therapists, two office assistants and my daughter Lori who did all of our insurance billing and collections. We treated upwards of 500 patient visits a month (average 28 to 32 patient visits a day), ethically and fairly billing insurance companies for patient services. Over the years, over 175 physicians of all specialties referred patients to us.

The Florida State Massage Therapy Association (FSMTA), hearing of my success, asked me to serve as Insurance Committee Chair in 1989. I still proudly hold that position today. During this time I was happy to be working with our association, lobbyist, attorney and legislators to enact laws that now require massage therapist's to be reimbursed by insurance companies."

Vivian is a regular columnist for "Massage Today" Newsppaer and writes articles for the FSMTA "Massage Message Magazine" and the "AMTA FL Journal". There is no one instructing massage therapists in insurance billing with this level of hands-on experience and knowledge, working with medically prescribed insurance cases. Vivian explains that you do not have to be a "certified" or "master" or "medical massage therapist" or anything else to accept physician referrals or to submit claims to insurers for massage therapy services. What is required is a medical diagnosis by physician's prescriptioin. From time to time some insurance companies may require state licensure or certification. See her website for home study courses, live seminars and manuals on insurance billing. For future seminars click www.massageinsurancebilling.com or phone Vivian at 865-436-3573.

Southwest Chapter insurance expert

We have a local resource for insurance questions in member Ron Stephens, a past president of our chapter and also a past state president of FSMTA. You can contact him at ron4insormassage@aol.com.