HOW YOU CAN CHANGE THE PATH OF HEALTH CARE-November 2008 blog Unfortunately, massage is not covered by most insurances in the US. This is not true in other countries. I have had clients from Australia and Canada ask me for an invoice to have their insurance at home reimburse them for the cost of the massage treatment. At best, some of you School District employees who participate in Altius, benefit from my employee discount which was negotiated as part of your Coventry Care program. With the changes brought about by yesterdays elections we may see many changes in Health Care and Health Insurance. You have a voice in this. There are two big factors that drive you insurance coverage and you may not know just how much you can effect them. Factor One: Medicare.  What medicare covers and does not cover is used as the benchmark for what most insurances exclude or include in their coverage. This is one area where government and private sectors blend. This is why you can influence Medicare by demanding that your elected officials include massage in Medicare coverage. There are many studies that show that people who receive regular massage treatment spend less on prescription drugs and less doctor visits. The concern has been abuses. These are being addressed by the National Certification Board and by professional organizations such as the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), both of which I am a member. Many doctors would like to prescibe massage but are restricted to using Physical Therapists which could include hands on treatment but doesn’ t because most PT’s like the doctors are trying to see as many patients per hour as possible. Therefore, massage remains the ONLY health care treatment that will give you specific hands on treatment for as long as you need it, just where you need it. Make sure our legislators know this. Factor Two: Consumer. We tend to forget that you pay for the insurance coverage and you have the right to shop around. Even if your coverage is a Labor Union plan, you pay for it in dues and you elect your union officials. In other words, you are your own best lobbyist. Unfortunately, too many just go with the flow a don’t speak up. With huge insurance companies like AIG looking for a bail out, they will tend to look at cutting expenses but they can’t cut what they don’t have if you threaten their income by taking your business elsewhere. We may see great sweeping change in Health Care in the next few years or at least we will see compromise and some restructuring. Make sure you get what you want and deserve by being heard.