PROVIDER
Liz Lepene, Adagio Spa, New Hampshire
SERVICE(S)
Massage Therapy. After Section 2706 went into effect (Jan 1, 2014)
AGENCY: State of New Hampshire Office of Insurance
THE STORY:
I am a massage therapist and through MANY successful attempts to alleviate clients’ health issues it has become a frustration of mine that insurance companies are not assisting them by reimbursing their payments when they come and see me. I called my own insurance company and asked if they would cover massage therapy. They said it is only covered if performed by a doctor, chiropractor or physical therapist. None of these providers analyze the entire body or has specific training to do so.
I started with Senator Sam Cataldo[1] to ask if he would consider drafting a bill that would mandate insurance companies to cover massage. (This is still in discussion, including now adding other types of providers.) Then I decided to go further on my own and started calling around to see if anyone was working on this effort, hoping to join their team. Someone referred me to covermycare, which had a whole set of templates[2] to send. I’m glad I didn’t have to start up on my own, because I never would have thought of this. I filled them out and sent them to everyone I could.
The commission to regulate insurance companies (The New Hampshire Dept. of Insurance) has been the only office to respond thus far. A consumer representative seemed interested in my claims under Section 2706, and said she would look into it. But in a letter of Aug 24, 2015 she wrote, “non-discrimination provisions do not require a carrier to contract with any willing provider.”[3]
Submitted: August 24, 2015
NOTES:
[1] Senator Sam Cataldo (R), District 6; 2012-present.
Committees: Executive Departments & Administration, Judiciary (Vice-Chair), Commerce
Prior: New Hampshire House of Representatives; 4 terms
Committees: Science, Technology and Energy
Residence: Farmington, NH
[2] See the CoverMyCare 2706 Toolkit Page
[3] See the letter in the Reference section at the New Hampshire state page.
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