Clients occasionally ask if we accept health insurance as a form of payment. Generally speaking, the answer is “no”. Health insurance companies in North Carolina do not include coverage for therapeutic massage in their traditional health plans at this time. However, there are some instances where you may be able to receive full reimbursement or partial payment assistance through other forms of insurance.
Regardless of your situation and insurance provider, you often need a recommendation (prescription) from a doctor to treat a specific medical condition. With that said, here are some instances in which you may be able to have insurance pay for some or all of your therapeutic massage treatments:
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA): Some health insurance companies offer high deductible plans that may be paired with a health savings account. A health savings account is a bank account that you use to pay for qualified medical expenses with tax-deductible contributions (deposits). So while you are still paying out-of-pocket, there are substantial savings available through the tax advantages.
- Personal Insurance (Injury) Protection (PIP): This type of insurance is an extension of auto insurance plans and covers medical bills for injuries resulting from auto accidents.
- Worker’s Compensation Insurance: Therapeutic massage for work related injuries can often be covered by worker’s compensation insurance. If you’ve been involved in an accident at work, check with your insurance provider to see if massage therapy is covered.
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): While technically not insurance, flexible spending accounts can be another way to reduce the cost of therapeutic massage through your employer’s payroll and benefits package. These programs allow you to use pre-tax income to pay for specific medical expenses. Some employers also contribute funds to this account as part of their employee’s benefits package.
While these options are available to help cover the costs of therapeutic massage in North Carolina, only a small percent of the population can take advantage of them. If you feel that therapeutic massage for pain relief should be covered by health insurance in NC, I encourage you to share your feelings with the North Carolina Department of Insurance.