FAQ

There are several versions of email scams out there targeting massage practitioners.  Most involve someone traveling from another country who wants to receive massage for themselves or a loved-one while they are visiting the area in which you practice.  They wish to pay for the massage ahead of time and will send a check or money order in advance.  The amount is for more than what you said you would charge.  They will tell you to go ahead and deposit the check or money order and keep a certain amount for yourself (for your trouble) and return the rest using your own check or money order.  The checks or money order that you receive from them will either bounce with insufficient funds or are counterfeit.  Please do not get involved in such email scams. 

Scams and spam are not unique to AMTA members or massage therapists; however AMTA is providing a service to its members to make it easy to find helpful information all in one place.  Just sign in to AMTA’s website, www.amtamassage.org, with your member ID and last name, then on the front page of the Member home page, under “What’s New and News,” you will find a link to information that can help you protect you and your practice against illegal scams and spam e-mail.  Remember, it’s always good business practice to trust your instincts.  If your gut is telling you something is not right, it probably isn’t.  If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

From 2000-2009, AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist® National Locator Service Jumped from 4,000 to 60,000 Users per Month

Throughout the decade, AMTA’s public relations and media relations emphasized the importance of finding qualified massage therapy professionals. The association committed itself to creating ways to drive potential clients to its members. These promotions directed consumers, employers and other healthcare professionals to AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist national locator service.

The online and toll-free service blossomed into a major resource for potential massage therapy clients, going from an average of 4,000 searches per month in January 2000 to 60,000 actual searches per month in 2009. Several AMTA members report they now often receive more than one new client a week, as a result of the locator service. In 2009, more than 700,000 searches were conducted for AMTA members through AMTA’s Find a Massage Therapist national locator service.

AMTA Professional members need to enroll themselves in the service – AMTA National does not automatically enroll members.  To quickly take advantage of this free benefit, Professional members can click on “Find a Massage Therapist” at the top of AMTA’s home page, www.amtamassage.org, then click on “Not Listed? Sign Up Today" at the bottom of the page.

Members are encouraged to include in their marketing strategies asking new clients how the person found them.  If the client says the Internet or AMTA, they usually mean the Locator Service.  This is a good marketing practice and it helps determine the effectiveness of the service.

Scams and spam are not unique to AMTA members or massage therapists; however AMTA is providing a service to its members to make it easy to find helpful information all in one place.  Just sign in to AMTA’s website, www.amtamassage.org, with your member ID and last name, then on the front page of the Member home page, under “What’s New and News,” you will find a link to information that can help you protect you and your practice against illegal scams and spam e-mail.  Remember, it’s always good business practice to trust your instincts.  If your gut is telling you something is not right, it probably isn’t.  If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

The answer to this question was found on the US Department of Health and Human Services website:

Yes. The HIPAA Privacy Rule permits health care providers to communicate with patients regarding their health care. This includes communicating with patients at their homes, whether through the mail or by phone or in some other manner. In addition, the Rule does not prohibit covered entities from leaving messages for patients on their answering machines. However, to reasonably safeguard the individual’s privacy, covered entities should take care to limit the amount of information disclosed on the answering machine. For example, a covered entity might want to consider leaving only its name and number and other information necessary to confirm an appointment, or ask the individual to call back.

A covered entity also may leave a message with a family member or other person who answers the phone when the patient is not home. The Privacy Rule permits covered entities to disclose limited information to family members, friends, or other persons regarding an individual’s care, even when the individual is not present. However, covered entities should use professional judgment to assure that such disclosures are in the best interest of the individual and limit the information disclosed.

In situations where a patient has requested that the covered entity communicate with him in a confidential manner, such as by alternative means or at an alternative location, the covered entity must accommodate that request, if reasonable. For example, the Department considers a request to receive mailings from the covered entity in a closed envelope rather than by postcard to be a reasonable request that should be accommodated. Similarly, a request to receive mail from the covered entity at a post office box rather than at home, or to receive calls at the office rather than at home are also considered to be reasonable requests, absent extenuating circumstances.

For more detailed information about health privacy, please visit the US Dept of Health and Human Services website, www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/.

AMTA offers a Professional Development Center on their website, www.amtamassage.org.  Click on the Information Resources button in the Members Only section.  The Professional DevelopmentCenter link can be found under the Business and Career Development heading.  Here you will find over 75 lessons to keep you in touch with career growth and business development skills.  Topics include Getting a Job, Business Planning, Policies for Your Practice and Marketing Ideas.

The AMTA also offers the Business of Massage Textbook for purchase through the AMTA website shopping mall. This 300 page book includes the following topics:

- How to attract and keep clients
-  Making good decisions for your practice
- Practitcing Self Care
- Connecting with the Allied Health Professions
- Managing a Practice
- And much more!

You can also find information on owning and operating a small business through the U.S. Small Business Administration.  The SBA offers free online training courses and web chats featuring questions from small business owners and responses from experts on a variety of small business issues.  Their website is www.sba.gov.  Local information can be found at either www.sba.gov/wa/seattle or www.sba.gov/wa/spokane.

Yes, it is the law.  RCW 18.108.040 reads:  It shall be unlawful to advertise the practice of massage using the term massage or any other term that implies a massage technique or method in any public or private publication or communication by a person not licensed by the secretary as a massage practitioner or without printing in display advertising the license number of the massage practitioner.

So, what does this mean?  If you are licensed and are advertising yourself as an LMP in a brochure, phone book display ad, flyer, poster, newspaper ad, etc…you must include your license number in that piece.  You must also include you license number on the AMTA Find a Massage Therapist locator service.

AMTA does not approve continuing education classes. Rather, we provide a definition of types classes that are acceptable for the AMTA continuing education requirement. It is the members’ responsibility to ensure that a class meets the definition.

Educational programs used to fulfill this requirement must meet the following general description: "an organized education experience directly related to massage therapy, which is offered under responsible sponsorship, capable direction, and qualified instruction." These may be experiential learning, theoretical or research in nature.

"Responsible sponsorship" includes colleges and universities; massage schools, workshop programs, AMTA sponsored educational events (National, Chapter, Unit, or Regional), and home study courses. This also includes continuing education programs approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB).  Individual instructors may sponsor their own education program. Always check your instructor's qualifications before investing in a continuing education experience.

For more info you may contact AMTA at www.amtamassage.org or 877-905-2700.

AMTA does not approve providers or courses.

If you are interested in being a provider through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork (NCBTMB), you may obtain information at www.ncbtmb.com or 800-296-0664.

Washington State addresses providers of Continuing Education in the following WAC 246-830-475: (6) Specialized training in an aspect of massage therapy provided by an individual who has expertise in that area, has been licensed in this state for no less than three years, and who charges a fee.  (8) Training provided by a health care professional certified or licensed in their area of expertise.  For additional information on Washington State requirements, go to www.doh.wa.gov/massage or call 360-236-4847.

No.  The license in the state of Washington is for a massage practitioner.  You may use the term massage therapist as long as the word licensed, or the initial “L” is not used in conjunction with it.  If you have questions, or would like additional information, please contact the Dept. of Health Massage Program at 360-236-4847.

These forms can be purchased through office supply stores.  To obtain an online form, enter "HCFA 1500 Claim Form" in a search engine.

[I do not know if we want to get into information regarding the transition from American WholeHealth Networks to Axia Health Management at this time because the contact information will probably stay the same.]

Applying to be a provider is just the first step in providing health care for people who would like to be covered under their insurance benefits. I would recommend taking some classes on billing insurance companies(including L&I) and having any contract reviewed by an attorney before you sign it. The Washington Chapter A. M. T. A. can provide contact information on people who teach classes & review provider contracts . We also offer these kinds of classes through the Chapter on a regular basis and periodically have provider contracts reviewed.

[Regence is the only other major provider network and I would not include information about contacting them because their panel is closed: they're not accepting new providers at this time.]

You can become a provider by completing a “Provider Account Application” & W-9 form.  You must have an individual provider account number, even if you are in a group practice.  The Application and the Form can be found on the Washington Department of Labor and Industries website at www.lni.wa.gov, click on Provider Billing and Payment then click on Becoming an L & I Provider.  You may also request this information by calling the L & I Provider Hotline at 800-848-0811.

According to Erin Oberland with the Washington Department of Health Massage Program, there is nothing in the massage law that addresses record retention for LMPs.  As a reference point, she mentioned the dental profession is required, through rules, to retain records for 5 years.  Gail Friedman, Chapter Relations Coordinator with National AMTA, says AMTA recommends LMPs retain records for 6 years. 

The answer depends on what your AMTA membership “paid through” date is.  If you have a 2008 paid through date, you can call the new liability insurance administrators, Healthcare Providers Service Organization at 888-253-1474.  If you have a 2007 paid through date, or are unsure of your paid through date, call AMTA Member Services at 877-905-2700. 

Call the AMTA liability insurance administrators, Healthcare Providers Service Organization at 888-253-1474.