Dear Friends and Fans of Massage Therapy,
I received an email from President Obama today. Actually I am one of probably a few million fellow citizens who got his email today regarding the Health Care Reform issue that our government is wrestling over.
In it, he encouraged me to stay informed and make my voice heard, so that together, our society can come up with desirable and effective strategies to make health care work better for everyone.
To me, a health care system that works better is not only one that is more affordable and accessible to everyone, but also one that offers
- treatment options that people want
- wellness program options that help people avoid preventable diseases and illnesses that cost more down the road to treat and cure
As someone who has been in the Holistic Health Care field for the past 8 years (focusing on therapeutic massage), I have seen how effective “alternative” treatments like massage therapy can be in treating a wide variety of health conditions, as well as preventing illnesses by strengthening immune systems and relieving stress that can lead to many common health problems.
The good news is that therapeutic massage is recognized by many insurers as a valid medical procedure that is eligible for reimbursement.
In fact, Body Well is now able to accept many PPO health insurance plans for in home massage therapy (click here for a free benefits analysis of your own policy).
However, the insurance companies don’t make it easy, and many policies do not provide benefits at all.
Perhaps most sadly, Medicare does not cover any in home therapeutic massage, and it is the elderly, who can benefit so much from massage therapy, who are the most likely to have mobility problems and difficulty getting to a facility to receive these effective treatments.
If you are like me and you would like to see our nation become smarter about health care, and encourage insurance companies to cover cost-effective therapies like massage, please make your voice heard as well!
Use the contacts and links at left and let the government know that it’s time to move forward in our thinking, and to make massage therapy a universally recognized therapeutic treatment that should be covered by any smart insurance policy.
In doing so you will be doing your small part in fostering a healthier America and a more progressive view of modern health care.
In Health
Daniel Melmed
