Becoming a Contracted Provider

Here in WA State we are contracted providers with insurance companies - Premera Blue Cross, Regence Blue Shield, Aetna, Group Health - to name a few of the big ones.

The way it came about to the best of my understanding was the insurance commissioner Debra Senn at the time, decided that massage and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and naturopathic doctors needed to have the right to become contracted providers.  From what I understand it was mainly because she had someone she knew use massage to recover from some serious injury or condition.  The insurance companies of course took it to court even and it got tied up for a few years but she won and the law went into effect.  It is called the 'every category law'.

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=48.43.045

http://www.insurance.wa.gov/publications/health/every_catagory_law.pdf


That is what I know about the process.  How can this be applied in other states?  How can we get massage and other alternative therapies to be accepted by regular insurance?

I know in FL you can also bill insurance companies but don't know the details.  I don't think they need to become contracted providers.

http://www.naic.org/state_web_map.htm

Could a letter writing campaign to insurance commissioners get the process rolling?  What other ideas do you have?  What is going on in each state already in this line of action?

Julie Onofrio
www.massagecareerguides.com