05/10/2023
Those of you who have been with us for a long time know that we used to take medical insurance. The reason we stopped is due to reimbursement rates for massage not increasing in about two decades. While insurance companies have steadily increased their premiums every year, their remittances to massage therapists have stayed stuck in the early aughts. As anyone who lives in expensive Seattle knows, living on a wage from two decades ago just isn't possible, so that's why many massage therapists, in addition to us, on the insurance rosters have dropped their provider status.
What can you as a consumer do to improve access to your insurance plan benefits?
Two things: Help pass bill HB 1655 by calling your representative and telling them to support it. The bill would mandate that insurance companies give raises pegged to the consumer price index. https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1655&Year=2023&Initiative=false
The other thing to do is file a complaint with the insurance commissioner's office. If you are paying an increased rate every year or two, you should expect to have full access to care. If you cannot find a massage therapist covered by your insurance due to LMT's dropping their provider status, then you are not getting what you are paying for.
https://www.insurance.wa.gov/file-complaint-or-check-your-complaint-status
If you have a problem with an insurance company or an agent, agency or other insurance licensee you can file a complaint against them with our office.
