Insurance and Massage License

We are happy to send a super bill and SOAP Notes for the customer to be reimbursed for their massage but we are unable to bill directly.

We can also take HSA account cards.

In order to take insurance claims insurance companies have to have certain laws issued form the local government. There is no massage therapy laws in Vermont. All credentials and professional insurance protecting me as a massage professional that I have are issued from educational and legal organizations unrelated to VT government. So there is a short answer for you. Some of my clients that has moved from other states has asked me that question- do you take insurance? Well I can’t, I would if I could. My goal is to help as many people as I can. If interested to learn more. And possibly take action read below. About how massage therapists can be able to take insurance,  read here and here.

Vermont State: No License For You Massage Therapist!

This is old news. But thought I’ll share because I have never expressed my frustration with Massage Therapy non Licensing in VT. For people who want to be licensed they just simply can’t. Licensure does not exist. Barbers have it, plumbers have it, chiropractors and PT’s but not massage therapists in Vermont.

I wonder if Vermonts government thinks that the likelihood of a person being insured is greater during a haircut than a massage when soft tissues in whole body are manipulated and stretched. People are left on their own to sort through which therapists are legitimately good and which ones are not to be trusted with injuries and other pains that people go to get relief for at massage businesses.

Why License?

Why not!? I guess the government thinks that because there was not a documented case of injury done by a massage therapists improper techniques they do not happen. Or other scams on the clients, when they waste they time and money of the clients. Most people don’t have, nor time nor desire to complain about that to the government. Being a massage therapist I have heard those complains about certain states practitioners, not once but several times.

Non licensing massage therapy also allows all kinds of illegal services to be under cover as a massage therapy business. Like lets say human trafficking spots and illegal massage parlors. That gives a legit massage therapy a bad look because it might confuse consumers.

Non licensing creates stagnation in massage therapist continuing education, furthering knowledge in exam taking and doesnt offer incentive to continue education.

No way to stop anyone from practicing, unless they are in jail 

A lot of misconduct and crimes end up not being reported as this store that it took one person to report for others to start reporting because people do not want to talk about these kind of things happening to them. Read Massage Envy’s Lawsuit details: http://www.cnn.com/2017/11/28/us/massage-envy-allegations/index.html. Just another reason to make rules of practicing massage therapy stricter. There might as well be cases like this that happened in VT but nobody ever reported them to the state but handled them internally. This doesnt make it a save place for a consumer to receive massage where the person might still be out there practicing massage without the license, because there is no licenses and they could never been revoked but that reason from “practicing”.

I have heard a story one one person scamming a local advertising company. A woman pretended to be a massage therapist, she collected the upfront money from clients who signed up for a discounted services with a deal and than disappeared from town never providing services that people have purchased.

The advertising company looked suspicious at me as I was trying to explain to them I am a real massage therapist.

Let alone pretenders “massage therapists”, having incompetent therapists who truly practice massage, waters down the professions to a joke levels. Without government issued license its hard to confirm sometimes who says the truth and what they do.

No Licensing- No Insurance Claims For You!

VT government believes the massage therapy is a self regulatory business. But why just MT? Without licensure MT’s in Vermont can not charge insurance, where there are states that enable that for massage therapists. Licensing will not get rid all not so great therapists, but at least it would increase the standard and entrance difficulty for anyone.

I believe Vermonts government doesn’t believe clinical massage to be a form of a legitimate treatment that the insurance could be taken when treating headaches, recovery from motor vehicle accidents, depression, just to mention a few issues that massage therapy helps with.

Just to clarify I do have insurance that covers me in case of injury at my office and if I get sued by a client, its a professional insurance that I have through ABMP not related to Vermont massage laws. I also have a business license because I run my own massage therapy practice. And I continue my education (as if I was licensed), every year because I like to expand my skills in my craft, even though VT government does not require it.

Leave The Old School, Time To Upgrade Vermont

As I have heard form the last sunrise review, therapists who have been long in the massage profession in VT and has been unlicensed sometimes they do not want to be licensed. Because it would mean they have to change their ways. They would have to collect  continuing education points like massage therapists in other states do and they would need to pass an exam to get a license. Exam is not difficult if one has good knowledge of anatomy, it lasts up to 2 hours and consists of a hundred anatomy, ethics and massage business questions. My fear is that the reason why the old therapists are so resistant for this licensing is that they would need to study again. If one cant pass anatomy test than they should not be therapeutically touching anyone.

All my colleagues who have graduated massage school not long ago. They have no opposition to pass the test. And actually many done so in case they decide to move to another state to work as a massage therapists. Yes some of them tried and did not pass it. But still practices massage therapy in Vermont and/or hopes to pass it in a future.

If someone is practicing the “energy” part of the massage business, and they do not want to pass an exam that contains anatomy and pathology knowledge. They still should know ethics and massage business part or should not be under massage therapy group but maybe some other sphere that physic workers go under.

Or maybe the license could be voluntarily like in California.

National Legal Massage Organizations Are Not An Enemy

Most of all states license massage therapy because it makes sense. It is not some sort of a propaganda by ABMP or other licensing organizations. However government looks at it that way.

These massage organizations that aid states in licensing practitioners across the country are also provide much more than that. Benefits include continuing education classes, seminars, journals, support, knowledge base, advice, protection and insurance for massage therapists.

Another statement for anti licensing is part time workers. So lets look at this: part time dental assistant, midwife, acupuncturist or real estate agent needs a license. But part time massage therapist no? Where is logic there? Furthermore license doesn’t cost a fortune that part time Massage therapist would not be able to afford it.

Self Regulatory

While a profession can be a self regulatory, it makes it hard to track the profession and cases where the issues occur. It is nearly impossible to keep someone accountable when they do not have a license for the service they provide.

Sunrise Review

You can read Vermont States Rationale for not licensing Here.

I have tried to reach out to the government representative in the office and they said there is not enough of complaints or requests expressed by the consumers.

If you would like to see massage therapy to be a regulated profession you can send a letter to Vermonts Government Here.

Office of Professional Regulation

Colin Benjamin, Director 802-828-1505
OPR Main Line 802-828-1505
OPR Toll Free Line 888-287-5006
OPR fax 802-828-2368

Thank you,

Jolita Brilliant, Nationally(not in VT thouht) Licensed Massage Therapist that practices in Burlington, Vermont

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