Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2026

Summer 2026 • 13

Expanding access is central to AMTA’s mission .

Making Massage Therapy More Affordable Through Insurance Advocacy Cost remains one of the greatest barriers to massage therapy. When insurance coverage is unavailable or limited, patients often delay or forgo therapeutic massage that can help manage pain, support recovery or reduce reliance on pharmacological treatments. AMTA advocates for expanded insurance coverage by engaging insurers, policymakers and health care leaders to recognize massage therapy as a research-supported, non-pharmacological option within patient-centered care. These efforts include encouraging Medicare Advantage and private insurers to provide coverage when evidence demonstrates improved outcomes. AMTA Helps Massage Therapists Navigate Medicare Advantage Plans Although original Medicare does not cover massage therapy, some Medicare Advantage plans may offer it as part of expanded wellness or complementary therapy benefits. To help increase patient access, AMTA provides education that equips licensed massage therapists to navigate billing codes, documentation standards and network participation requirements with confidence. Because coverage varies by plan, including eligible conditions, session limits, and reimbursement policies, AMTA encourages massage therapists to work closely with clients to confirm benefit details, including referral or pre-authorization requirements.

and reimbursed in the U.S. health care system. Because insurance companies and government programs rely on CPT codes to determine what treatments qualify for coverage, participating in these discussions allows AMTA to advocate for appropriate coding of massage therapy services. This work supports greater integration of massage therapy into health care settings, improves opportunities for insurance reimbursement, and helps make therapeutic massage more accessible and affordable for patients as part of comprehensive care. Advancing Legislation That Expands Patient Access to Massage Legislative advocacy is another critical pathway to expanding access. AMTA continually works with federal and state lawmakers to promote responsible policies that integrate massage therapy into clinical care. These efforts are vital in the context of pain management, where patients and providers increasingly seek safe, effective, non-opioid treatment options. By supporting legislation that facilitates appropriate referrals to massage therapy, AMTA helps broaden the range of accessible, evidence-based As part of these efforts, each year AMTA attends the Annual Coalition Meeting of Voices for Non Opioid Choices (Voices) in Washington, D.C., joining more than 100 national partners working to prevent opioid misuse in pain treatment. These important events include physicians, policymakers, and patient representatives discussing the ongoing impact of opioid abuse. AMTA will continue its efforts to collaborate with Voices and other organizations to highlight the role of massage therapy in helping address the opioid crisis. AMTA was also an active participant in an earlier Voices advocacy effort to help pass the 2022 Non Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act in Congress. This Act intends to increase patient and provider access to non-opioid approaches for pain management for those enrolled in Medicare and to help stem the opioid epidemic across the nation. It also therapies within whole-person health care. Addressing the Opioid Crisis with Massage Therapy

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AMTA Advocates for How Massage is Coded, Recognized and Reimbursed in the U.S. Health Care System AMTA’s involvement in the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Advisory Committee and the Health Care Professionals Advisory Committee (HCPAC) helps ensure massage therapy is represented in decisions about how health care services are coded, recognized,

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