We have offered holistic providers complete medical billing and coding services since 1999, so we understand what makes medical billing and coding successful. In this article, we share our knowledge to assist you in selecting the best service for your medical practice.
Medical coding and billing are crucial components of any healthcare operation. It guarantees rapid and accurate claim processing, which results in quick reimbursements and improved revenue cycle management. The effectiveness and profitability of your clinic can be considerably impacted by your choice of medical billing and coding company, which can be challenging. This article will review the essential medical billing and coding service elements. In addition, we’ll also share tips on how to find the best fit for you.
Knowledge and Skills
Experience and industry knowledge are the most critical factors when selecting a medical billing and coding service. Please search for a business with a successful track record and extensive expertise working with medical practices like yours; this helps to ensure that they know the particular difficulties faced by your practice and have the knowledge and tools necessary to address them.
Security and Compliance
The field of medical coding and Billing is very regulated. Selecting a service that prioritizes adherence to pertinent healthcare laws, including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), is crucial. Be sure the business you choose maintains stringent security measures to guard sensitive patient data from data breaches and illegal access.
Flexibility and Personalization
Your billing and coding provider should be able to adjust to your particular demands because every medical practice is different. To create a customized solution for your practice’s billing and coding needs, look for a provider that offers customizable solutions and will collaborate closely with your staff.
Automation
A professional medical billing and coding service should use the most up-to-date technology to optimize revenue collection, speed up the billing process, and decrease errors. Faster claim processing and more precise reimbursements will result from this. To increase productivity and reduce manual input, look for a company that uses software and automation whenever possible.
Pricing and Contract Terms
Considering the price and contract details when assessing billing and coding services is critical. In addition to their fees, which are typically based on a percentage of collections, you should carefully read the contract terms to comprehend the range of services offered, the method of payment, and any potential penalties or termination clauses. Seek transparent pricing models with no hidden costs that fit your practice’s budget.
Customer Support and Responsiveness
When it comes to billing and coding, excellent customer support is essential. You want a business that will address your needs and problems. To receive individualized support and guidance through the billing process, look for a service that provides dedicated account management or a point of contact.
Testimonials
One of the best methods to evaluate a medical billing and coding service’s success is to look at client references. Choose a business with a good reputation. As the saying goes, past performance is the best indicator of future performance. A more excellent grasp of their track record and assistance in making an informed choice will come from their business references.
Ongoing Support
A good medical billing and coding firm should also offer continuing training and assistance to your employees, so they stay informed about changes in the field and best practices. Regular updates on coding standards, educational webinars, or specialized training events fall within this category.
Six Pointers to Help You Choose the Best Medical Coding and Billing Company
Here are some suggestions to help you choose the best medical billing and coding service for your clinic now that you are aware of the elements to take into account:
Research
Start by researching the many medical billing and coding services that are offered. Search for suppliers with expertise dealing with comparable businesses or specializing in your specialty. Compile a shortlist of prospects based on their qualifications, knowledge, and client testimonials.
Compare
Request proposals from the vendors you are considering. Use the proposals to compare each company’s services and reduce your candidates. Information about their services, price, technological solutions, and compliance procedures should all be included in a thorough presentation.
Schedule
Make appointments to speak with the leading candidates on your list before deciding. Ask them about their background, offerings, and how they may assist your practice in streamlining its billing and coding procedures during these encounters. Please take advantage of the chance to evaluate their receptivity, communication abilities, and willingness to adapt their services to your demands.
Check
Make an effort to reach out to the clients listed on the references provided by each prospective organization. You’ll be able to learn directly about their effectiveness, customer service, and general experience.
Evaluate
Understanding the vendor’s onboarding procedure is crucial because switching to a new medical billing and coding service can be difficult. Analyze their capacity to work with your current systems, impart knowledge to your personnel, and offer continuing assistance during the transition.
Consider
It’s crucial to consider a medical billing and coding service’s long-term profitability while making your choice; this entails assessing its financial standing, room for expansion, and resolve to keep up with market developments. A strong and progressive organization will likely support the long-term success of your practice.
Conclusion
Your choice of medical billing and coding provider can dramatically impact the effectiveness and profitability of your practice. You may find a provider who meets your needs and aids in the optimization of your revenue cycle management by considering variables like experience, compliance, technology, and cost. Take your time with the decision-making process; instead, consider each prospective provider before selecting the best fit for your practice’s particular needs.
How does this relate to an EHR and insurance billing company focused on acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical-massage billing? While you are busy vetting other vendors, your time can be free of tedious technology or complicated medical coding and billing process. By letting the best firm focused on integrative healthcare Holistic Billing Services handle your online appointments, SOAP notes, or medical billing needs, your energy, creativity, and talents are freed up to focus on identifying and serving your patients. The friendly experts at Holistic Billing have over 20 years of experience and are eager to help you succeed in EHR and Medical Billing! Contact us today to get started building a solution that suits your acupuncture practice needs and goals.
When owning a holistic practice, one of the most important things to consider is how to handle insurance billing; this can be tricky and time-consuming, but ensuring that your patients receive the reimbursement they are entitled to is essential. As a holistic practitioner, choosing an insurance biller who understands the unique needs of your practice, whether it be acupuncture, chiropractic, or medical massage, can help you navigate the complex world of insurance billing. This blog post will discuss critical factors on how to pick an insurance biller for your holistic practice covering acupuncture, chiropractic, or a medical massage practice.
Experience and Expertise
One of the most important things to consider when choosing an insurance biller is their experience and expertise in your field. Each type of holistic practice has its unique billing requirements and codes, so it is essential to choose an insurance biller who is familiar with the ins and outs of your field. For example, suppose you run an acupuncture practice. In that case, you will want to choose an insurance biller who has experience with acupuncture insurance billing and is familiar with the codes and procedures specific to this field. The same goes for chiropractic and medical massage practices.
Credentials and Accreditation
Another critical factor to consider when choosing an insurance biller is their credentials and accreditation. Selecting an insurance biller certified in medical coding and accredited by professional organizations in your field is essential; this will ensure they have the necessary knowledge and training to handle your insurance billing needs. Additionally, it is a good idea to choose an insurance biller who is a member of professional organizations such as the American Medical Billing Association (AMBA), the National Association of Medical Billers and Coders (NAMBC), or the Healthcare Business Management Association (HBMA)
Communication and Responsiveness
When it comes to insurance billing, communication, and responsiveness are key. You would like to choose an insurance biller who is easy to communicate with and responsive to your needs. It is crucial to have a clear and open line of communication with your insurance biller so that you can address any issues or questions that may arise. Additionally, you want to choose an insurance biller who is responsive to your needs and can help you navigate any challenges that may come up.
Services Offered
When choosing an insurance biller, it is essential to consider their services. You want to select an insurance biller who can handle all aspects of your billing needs, including credentialing, insurance benefit verifications, submitting claims, following up on denied claims and managing patient accounts. Also, you’d like to choose an insurance biller who can help you with coding and compliance issues and give you regular reports on your billing status.
Cost
Lastly, it is vital to consider the cost of the insurance biller’s services. While cost should not be the only factor in your decision-making process, choosing an insurance biller who offers competitive rates is essential. Also, you’d like to select an insurance biller who is open about their fees and can give you a detailed breakdown of their costs. It is essential to choose an insurance biller who has experience and expertise in your field, is certified and accredited, has good communication and responsiveness, and offers a range of services at a competitive cost. By considering these factors, you can ensure that your insurance billing needs are met and that you receive the reimbursements generated by your work.
How does this relate to a billing company focused on acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical-massage billing? While you are busy filling your schedule, your time does not need to be consumed by the tedious and complicated medical coding and billing process. By letting a trusted firm like Holistic Billing Services handle your online appointments, SOAP notes, or your medical billing burden, your time, energy, and creativity are freed up to focus on what matters most: your patients. The friendly experts at HBS have decades of experience and are eager to help you succeed in EHR and medical billing! Contact us today to get started building a custom solution that suits your acupuncture practice needs and goals.
Developing a social media medical strategy for your holistic practice can be valuable for connecting with your patients, building trust, and promoting your services. However, knowing where to start with social media platforms can take some work. This blog post will discuss the pros and cons of various social media platforms and provide tips for developing a social media strategy for your holistic practice.
When developing a social media medical strategy for your holistic medicine practice, it is vital to consider the following:
- Identify your target audience: Whom are you trying to reach with your social media efforts? Are they current patients, potential patients, or other healthcare professionals?
- You can choose the right platform from our guide below: Based on your target audience and the type of content you want to share, you can choose the social media platform that will most effectively reach your audience.
- Create a content calendar: Plan your content for the next month, quarter, or year; this will help ensure that you have a steady stream of content to share and that you are sharing relevant and engaging content.
- Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and messages and use the platforms’ features to engage with your audience.
- Measure and adjust: Track your social media metrics to see which posts are performing well and which are not. Use this information to change your strategy and improve your results.
Social Media Guide
Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms and is a great place to connect with patients and promote your practice.
- Pros of using Facebook include the ability to reach a large audience, create posts that are easy to share, and post events and appointments.
- Cons of using Facebook include creating engaging and relevant content, keeping up with the algorithm changes, and the potential for negative comments or reviews.
Twitter is a fast-paced platform that allows you to share quick updates, news, and information.
- Pros of using Twitter include the ability to reach a large audience, the ability to connect with influencers, and the ability to share real-time information.
- Cons of using Twitter include being concise and to the point, managing the character limit, and the potential for negative comments or reviews.
Instagram is a visual platform that allows you to share pictures and videos to promote your practice.
- Pros of using Instagram include the ability to reach a large audience, the ability to communicate visually appealing content, and the ability to connect with influencers.
- Cons of using Instagram are the need to produce high-quality content, keep up with algorithm changes, and the potential for negative comments or reviews.
LinkedIn is a professional networking platform for connecting with other healthcare professionals and promoting your practice.
- Pros of using LinkedIn include the ability to communicate with other healthcare professionals, the ability to share industry-related content, and the ability to promote job openings.
- Cons of using LinkedIn include creating professional and relevant content, keeping up with the algorithm changes, and the potential for negative comments or reviews.
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing platform that allows you to share videos to promote your practice.
- Pros of using YouTube include the ability to reach a large audience, share informative and educational videos, and connect with influencers.
- Cons of using YouTube need to produce high-quality video content, keep up with algorithm changes, and the potential for negative comments or reviews.
Social media can be a powerful and cost-effective tool for promoting your holistic practice and connecting with patients. By identifying your target audience, choosing the right platform, creating content, and tracking your social media results, you’ll have a strategy to connect with your patients, build trust, and promote your services.
How does this relate to a billing company focused on acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical-massage billing? While you are busy creating your social media strategy, the tedious and complicated medical coding and billing process does not need to consume your time. By letting a trusted firm like Holistic Billing Services handle your online appointments, SOAP notes, or your medical billing burden, your time, energy, and creativity are freed up to focus on what matters most: your patients.
The friendly experts at HBS have decades of experience and are eager to help you succeed! Please reach out to us today to build a custom solution that suits your acupuncture, chiropractic, or medical massage practice needs and goals.
Cash flow is the amount of cash a business generates and uses in a given period. Understanding cash flow as part of your business plan is essential to ensure that the practice has enough money to pay its bills and invest in its future growth. Projecting cash flow in a medical practice can be daunting, but it is essential for the practice’s financial success. In this blog post, we will discuss the steps involved in projecting cash flow for a medical practice and provide tips for maintaining a healthy cash flow.
Step 1: Identify your sources of cash
The first step in projecting cash flow is to identify the sources of cash for the practice. These sources include patient payments, insurance reimbursements, and investments. Understanding the timing of these payments and any trends or fluctuations in the amount of cash received is essential. For example, if the practice experiences a spike in patient volume during the summer months, it will likely receive more money during this period.
Step 2: Identify your uses of cash
Once you identify the sources of cash, it is crucial to identify the uses of cash for the practice. These uses include expenses such as rent, salaries, supplies, and equipment. It is important to understand the timing of these expenses and any trends or fluctuations in the amount of cash spent. For example, if the practice plans to purchase new equipment, it will likely spend more money during the month or quarter in which you bought the equipment.
Step 3: Create a cash flow projection
With an understanding of the sources and uses of cash, the next step is to create a cash flow projection. This projection should include an estimate of the amount of cash received and spent in a given period. It is vital to have both expected and unexpected events in the projection and any trends or fluctuations in the amount of cash received or spent.
Step 4: Monitor and adjust your projection
Once you create the cash flow projection, it is essential to monitor it regularly and make adjustments as necessary; this may include adjusting the prediction based on actual results or making changes to the practice’s operations to improve cash flow. For example, if the practice is experiencing a cash flow shortage, it may need to increase its billing and collections efforts, recruit patients or reduce its expenses.
Tips for maintaining a healthy cash flow
- Review your billing and collections process: A poor billing and collections process is one of the most significant contributors to cash flow problems. Regularly reviewing and improving this process can help ensure that the practice receives payment for services promptly.
- Control expenses: Keeping expenses under control is essential for maintaining a healthy cash flow. Reviewing expenses regularly and finding ways to reduce them can help to improve cash flow.
- Communicate with patients: Clear communication regarding their financial responsibilities can help ensure that payments are received promptly.
- Maintain a good relationship with insurance companies: Building a good relationship with insurance companies can help ensure that reimbursements are received promptly.
- Keep an eye on future trends: Monitoring future trends in the healthcare industry can help to anticipate any changes that may impact cash flow.
In conclusion, projecting cash flow in a medical practice is a vital task that requires a thorough understanding of the sources and uses of cash. By following the steps outlined in this blog post and implementing the tips for maintaining a healthy cash flow, medical practices can ensure they have the resources they need to grow and succeed in today’s competitive healthcare landscape.
How does this relate to a billing company focused on acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical-massage billing? While you are busy projecting your cash flow, let us handle your EMR technology needs and the tedious and complicated medical coding, and billing process. By allowing a trusted firm like Holistic Billing Services, to capture your online appointments and SOAP notes, or offloading your medical billing burden, your time, energy, and creativity are freed up to focus on what matters most: your patients. The friendly experts at HBS have decades of experience and are eager to help you succeed! Contact us today to get started building a custom solution that suits your acupuncture practice needs and goals.
Opening a holistic healthcare practice is an exciting and challenging endeavor that requires careful planning and preparation. A business plan is a critical tool that can help you to organize your thoughts, set goals, and create a roadmap for your practice’s success. In this blog post, we will discuss the steps on how to establish a business plan for your holistic practice and provide some tips for creating a successful strategy.
Step 1: Research the market
The first step may seem obvious, but all too often is overlooked. When developing a business plan, you must first do your market research; this includes identifying the ideal patients for your practice, researching other holistic practices in your area, and understanding the trends and opportunities in the holistic healthcare industry. This research will help you know your target patient’s needs and concerns, allowing you to develop strategies that align with your strengths and interests.
Step 2: Define your business model
Once you understand your market, the next step is to define your practice’s business model; this includes identifying your services, setting prices, and determining how you will generate revenue. It is also essential to consider the costs associated with opening and operating your practice, such as rent, salaries, furniture, and equipment.
Step 3: Create a marketing plan
A marketing plan is a critical component of any business plan and is essential for promoting your practice and reaching your target audience. This plan should include strategies for getting your brand and message in front of potential patients, such as advertising, networking, and social media. In today’s world, it is critical to establish early how you will use social media and other digital marketing tools to promote your practice.
Step 4: Develop a financial plan
A financial plan is a crucial part of any business plan and is essential for understanding the costs associated with opening and operating your practice. This plan should include an estimate of your startup costs, operating expenses, and projected revenue. It should also have a projected cash flow statement, which will help you to understand your practice’s financial health over time.
Step 5: Review and refine your plan
Once your business plan is complete, regularly reviewing and refining, it is essential; this includes monitoring your progress, adjusting your plan as necessary, and seeking feedback from industry experts. It is also crucial to stay updated on industry trends and regulations and adjust your plan as needed.
Tips for creating a successful business plan
- Be realistic: Setting realistic goals and conservative projections for your practice is important; this will help you to avoid disappointment and make adjustments as needed.
- Please keep it simple: A business plan should be easy for someone else to understand and follow. Avoid using jargon or overly complex language.
- Seek feedback: Get input from industry experts, friends, and family to get an outside perspective on your business plan.
- Be specific about your goals and plans. Your goals should be measurable; this will help you stay focused and on track.
- Be flexible: Be prepared to adjust your business plan as necessary. The healthcare industry is constantly changing, and it is vital to adapt to changes.
Finally, developing a business plan for opening a holistic healthcare practice is a critical step in ensuring the success of your medical practice. By following the steps outlined in this blog post and implementing the tips for creating a successful plan, you can create a roadmap for your practice’s success and ensure you have the resources you need to grow and thrive in today’s competitive healthcare landscape.
Resources when establishing your business plan
- Small Business Administration (SBA): The SBA provides a wide range of resources and support for small businesses, including loans, grants, counseling services, and training.
- SCORE: SCORE is a national organization that provides free mentoring and resources to small business owners.
- National Small Business Association (NSBA): The NSBA is a nonprofit organization that provides advocacy, networking, and resources for small business owners.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH): The NCCIH provides information and resources on complementary and integrative health practices and therapies.
- American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA): The AHMA provides education, resources, and networking opportunities for holistic healthcare practitioners.
How does this relate to a billing company focused on acupuncture, chiropractic, and medical massage billing? While you are busy creating your business plan, your time does not need to be consumed by the tedious and complicated medical coding and billing process. By letting a trusted firm, like Holistic Billing Services, handle your online appointments, SOAP notes, or your medical billing burden, your time, energy, and creativity are freed up to focus on what matters most: your patients.
The friendly experts at HBS have decades of experience and are eager to help you succeed! Contact us today to get started building a custom solution that suits your acupuncture practice needs and goals.
One of the quickest ways to ensure your healthcare revenue cycle is running smoothly is to utilize the most current medical billing codes for your practice. If you code for the wrong treatment, over or under code for services rendered, or submit your claims late, then you run the risk of delayed payment and a host of other issues.
If your holistic practice offers massage therapy treatments, then you’ll want to keep this list of massage therapy CPT codes and tips handy! Be sure to bookmark this page for easy reference so that you can enjoy a streamlined medical billing process.
Essential Massage Therapy CPT Codes
Some of the most commonly used CPT codes used by massage therapists are below:
- 97124 (Massage therapy): Describes work including effleurage, petrissage, and/or tapotement (stroking, compression, percussion) for every 15 minutes
- 97140 (Manual therapy): Includes therapy techniques, consisting of but not limited to connective tissue massage, joint mobilization and manipulation, manual traction, passive range of motion, soft tissue mobilization and manipulation, and therapeutic massage for every 15 minutes
- 97112 (Neuromuscular re-education): Entails the re-education of movement, balance, coordination, kinesthetic sense, posture, and proprioception in 15-minute intervals; examples include PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation), Feldenkreis, Bobath, BAP’s Boards, and de-sensitization methods
- 97010 (Hot/cold packs): describes the application of moist heat or cryotherapy for relaxing muscle spasticity, promotion of vasodilation, increasing lymph flow, or other situations
- 97110 (Therapeutic exercise): use this code for therapeutic exercises applied to a single or multiple body parts to develop strength, endurance, range of motion, and flexibility within 15-minute intervals
Essential Modifiers for Massage Therapy CPT Codes
Sometimes it’s not enough to use the baseline massage therapy CPT codes – in which case, you’ll likely need to refer to these code modifiers:
- Modifier 59: This modifier for massage therapy CPT codes indicates that two separate but similar procedures were performed on the client within the same day or time span of a few days
- Modifier 52: Use this modifier if billing for a procedure that used a reduced modality as the provider saw fit
Billing Medicare: Timed vs. Untimed Massage Therapy CPT Codes
If your practice accepts patients who are covered by Medicare, then you’ll need to be mindful of the difference between billing for time or untimed massage therapy services.
Billing Medicare for Untimed Massage Therapy
When you choose to bill for untimed massage therapy services, you can only bill for one whole service. This means that no matter how much time you spend with your client, you’re only billing for one treatment as a whole.
Billing Medicare for Timed Massage Therapy Treatment
On the other hand, if you’re billing Medicare for a timed massage therapy treatment, then you get reimbursed based on the time spent 1:1 with the patient providing treatment. These timed codes can be billed multiple times per session.
Each code equates to 15 minutes of treatment; however, if the time spent with your client doesn’t result in an even amount of time divisible by 15, then you’ll use the 8-minute rule. Basically, after dividing the time of the session by 15, if the remainder you have is greater than 8 then you can round up and bill for an additional unit. If the remainder is 7 or less, then you’ll bill for the minimum number of units.
Here’s a handy table for referencing the 8-Minute Rule:
- 8-22 minutes: 1 Unit
- 23-37 minutes: 2 Units
- 38-52 minutes: 3 Units
- 53-67 minutes: 4 Units
Medical Billing Tips for Your Massage Therapy Practice
Keeping your healthcare revenue cycle in good health is no small feat; check out these tips for medical billing success:
First, Ensure Your Practice Is Appropriately Credentialed
Before you can bill insurance companies or government programs for your massage therapy services, your practice should be medically credentialed to bill as an in-network provider or enrolled to bill out-of-network. Credentialing is necessary for many commercial insurance companies, or government plans like Veterans Affairs. Typically, the process involves documentation and verifying all licenses, though the exact requirements differ from provider to provider.
Confirm Your Patient’s Insurance Eligibility Ahead of Time
A frequent problem when going through the medical billing process is when claims are denied or need to be reworked as a result of ineligible patient coverage information. Whether the patient is wholly ineligible for the services rendered or their information changed without being updated, this can result in delayed payments and the need to rework the claim. Be sure to confirm your patient’s information every time they come into your practice!
Be Careful to Avoid Overcoding
Due to the complexity of massage therapy insurance billing, overcoding is a common mistake. It’s important to be aware of the rules associated with all the massage therapy CPT codes to avoid delays.
For instance, you can only bill either one of codes 97140 or 97124; you won’t be able to bill for both. Likewise, CPT code 97010 for hot/cold packs is now mostly “bundled” with codes 97124 or 97140. This means you might not be able to bill a separate fee for this service.
Transform Your Medical Billing Processes With HBS!
Balancing your practice’s online appointments, SOAP notes, billing and coding while delivering care to your patients can be overwhelming but outsourcing your massage therapy insurance billing can save you time, energy, and optimize your revenue cycle management!
As an experienced EMR and insurance billing provider for holistic practices, Holistic Billing Services can help your practice navigate the insurance billing process to minimize denials and increase revenue. With a knowledgeable partner by your side, you can focus more on treating patients to help your practice grow rather than worrying about insurance billing.
To learn more about our massage therapy billing services, talk to one of our billing and coding experts today.
Your massage therapy practice is responsible for delivering great care to your patients through the many benefits of massage. If you’re looking to expand any specialty services that you offer, consider adding fascia stretching to your practice’s repertoire! Fascia stretching and fascia massage can help you grow your practice by speaking to physical pain points that your community might be experiencing. Keep reading to learn more!
What Is Fascia Stretching?
Fascia encompasses each muscle and connects muscles together both on the surface and on a deeper level. Fascia connects tendons, ligaments, and bones to form a whole-body network of tissue—it also connects to your organs and internal systems.
Since this kind of connection exists between nearly all parts of the body, both internally and externally, fascia stretching and fascia massage therapy can significantly improve the mobility and flexibility of your patients.
Fascia stretching and massage address the entire body, intentionally and subsequently. It’s all connected, so delivering treatment to fascia results in delivering treatment to the entire body instead of isolated muscle groups or static stretching.
Who Benefits from Fascia Stretching?
Anyone can benefit from fascia stretching and fascia massage treatments, including any patient who is recommended for this specialty by their physician, fitness enthusiasts, athletes, and more.
Fascial restriction, or the limitation or pain affecting fascia in the body, can be related to trauma, strains, injuries, a sedentary lifestyle, and more. These causes might include the following suspects:
- overuse
- repetitive movements
- injuries
- weak muscles
- poor posture
- physical, mental, or emotional stress
- extended periods of sitting or standing
- overall lack of physical activity
- misalignments and imbalances
As with any type of treatment plan, the best course of action for treating a patient with fascia stretching or fascia massage will vary from one situation to the next. Typically more than one session is recommended, and overall mobility is often improved after just one treatment!
Fascia stretching results in decreased stress, improved sleep, and significant relief from pain in just a few sessions.
Why You Should Add Fascia Stretching to Your Practice
If you’re wanting to grow your massage therapy practice by expanding the variety of specialty massages or treatments that you offer, consider adding fascia stretching for the following reasons:
Attract New Patients
Want to attract new patients? Consider adding fascia stretching and fascia massage services to your practice’s list of offerings. Potential clients in your community might be looking exactly for that service—or be recommended it by their physician or athletic trainer—which provides an excellent opportunity for your massage therapy practice.
It Complements Other Forms of Holistic Treatments
Fascia stretching doesn’t have to be a standalone form of holistic treatment for your patients; it dovetails quite nicely with other forms of massage therapy treatments, acupuncture treatments, and more! This means that your holistic practice is able to furthermore offer comprehensive, integrated care for your community.
Top 3 Benefits of Massage Therapy
In general, massage therapy can help provide relief for a variety of conditions and ailments, including:
Repetitive Motion or Strain Injuries
For those suffering with pain from repetitive motion or strain injuries, or other related issues that negatively impact the muscles and joints, massage therapy can greatly improve mobility and reduce the pain associated with these injuries. Sensations like tenderness, throbbing or sharp pain in movement, tingling, etc. can be the result of overusing a group of muscles, staying in a particular posture for an extended period of time, heavy lifting, or another factor. Massage therapy can help reduce these feelings and restore mobility.
Chronic Pain
Massages have an inherent attachment to ideas of relaxation and gentle unwinding—and for good reason! Massage therapy facilitates relaxation which makes it a surefire way to reduce painful, chronic conditions. Whether caused by surgery, injury, or simply chronic ailments that induce pain, massage therapy can help your patients experience a lighter breath with reduced pain because it promotes blood flow and circulation while releasing the body’s natural painkillers.
Mental Ailments, like Depression
If your patient is experiencing depression, massage therapy likely won’t cure the condition alone—but it will relieve the physical symptoms associated with it, such as lethargy, back pain, joint pain, muscle aches, and more. By encouraging blood flow and promoting relaxation on a physical level in the patient’s muscles and connective tissue, they’ll become less stiff or rigid which might be contributing to their pain.
Why Effective Massage Therapy Insurance Billing Matters When Treating Patients
When massage therapists deliver treatments, such as fascia stretching or fascia massage, the medical billing process ensures that they receive reimbursements for delivering quality care. While medical billing is an integral function of the reimbursement process, it can be very complex; the slightest error can delay payments for weeks, if not longer. Ensuring the most accurate medical billing allows massage therapy practices to spend more time doing what they love: delivering care to their patients.
As an experienced billing provider for holistic providers, including massage therapists, Holistic Billing Services can help your massage therapy practice navigate the medical billing process to minimize denials and delays so you can increase revenue. With an expert partner by your side, you can focus more on treating patients to help your practice grow rather than worrying about insurance billing. To learn more about our massage therapy billing services, talk to one of our billing and coding experts today.
A recent consumer study found that 88% of respondents reported massage therapy was beneficial to their overall health and wellness. Want to offer massage therapy services to the veterans in your community, but aren’t sure how to manage billing the VA? We’re here to help you understand this process better so you can deliver quality care to veterans at your holistic practice.
There are numerous methods of massage therapy, including:
- Medical massage
- Hot stone massage
- Swedish massage
- Reflexology
- Trigger point massage
- Thai massage
Each method implements a particular set of movements that target muscles in order to increase blood flow, promote relaxation, alleviate physical pain, and encourage overall wellness.
Does the VA Cover Massage Therapy?
It depends on the specific circumstances and location. Some VA facilities may offer massage therapy as a form of rehabilitation for veterans, but it is not a widely covered service under VA benefits. It is best to check with your local VA facility or speak with a VA representative to determine if massage therapy is covered in your area.
Benefits of VA Massage Therapy
Massage therapy has been proven to treat a wide array of conditions veterans might be suffering from, including:
- Chronic pain: Massage therapy treatments help stimulate blood flow to parts of the body experiencing pain, which helps promote the release of natural painkillers; since massage therapy results in relaxation, overall chronic pain conditions can be managed with treatments. This is an especially timely holistic approach in light of the ongoing opioid epidemic.
- Depression: One study found that 11% of veterans were experiencing elevated levels of depression; massage therapy can help alleviate the physical symptoms of this mental condition, such as back pain, body aches, sluggishness, and more.
- Anxiety: A 2016 research study demonstrated that Swedish massage therapy treatment was successful in reducing the symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Veterans often experience complicated symptoms of anxiety linked to PTSD and homelessness, which can increase the risk of suicide; incorporating a massage therapy treatment plan into an overall wellness plan can help mediate these symptoms.
How To Start Treating Veterans at Your Massage Therapy Practice
The US Department of Veterans Affairs recognizes clinical massage therapy as “one of the evidence-based, complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches within the VHA Whole Health System of care” and covers the cost of this care when deemed necessary. Follow these steps to start treating veterans with massage therapy at your holistic practice!
Apply for Your National Provider Identifier (NPI)
A National Provider Identifier, or NPI, is a 10-digit identification number issued to healthcare providers in the U.S. by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Your massage therapy practice will need to apply for an NPI if you are a HIPAA-covered health care provider or if you bill insurance for your services.
Determine Your Region
The VA Community Care Network (CCN) is divided into six regions that cover the continental United States in addition to Hawaii, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. TriWest manages the western networks while Optum handles the eastern regions. Find out which region your practice resides in.
Get Credentialed
In order to provide quality care for veterans at your holistic practice with massage therapy, you’ll need to be credentialed with the region’s third-party administrator. This process typically takes at least three months to complete. Depending on your region, contact the following to get started with the credentialing process:
- Region 1: 888-901-7407 (Optum)
- Region 2: 844-839-6108 (Optum)
- Region 3: 888-901-6613 (Optum)
- Region 4: 866-286-4174 (Triwest)
- Region 5: 877-226-8749 (Triwest)
The VA has not officially contracted with an agency for Region 6; contact information is pending for that region.
Complete Registration Paperwork
Upon completing the credentialing process, you’ll need to submit the necessary paperwork to become fully registered with the network. This paperwork is submitted electronically and will include details regarding any final requirements that must be met in order to finish the credentialing process.
Receive Patient Authorizations
Once your holistic practice has been verified and authorized by the VA’s network, you’ll start to receive referrals to treat veterans who are approved to start massage therapy treatment. Your CCN administrator will provide the patient’s authorization letters before the patient’s first visit to your practice.
Checklist for Initial Claims Processing
When submitting an insurance claim to the VA for the first time, you’ll need to submit all the authorization letter pages together with the claim. Make sure you transmit all the following information with your massage therapy claim to avoid a denial:
- A cover letter
- The date range for services
- Authorization numbers
- The total number of visits authorized
- The patient’s demographics including address, date of birth, and social security number
- Documentation and CPT codes of treatments administered
By following this checklist, you can ensure your Veterans Administration insurance claim will have all the accurate information it needs for a smooth billing process.
Maximize Your Reimbursements for VA Insurance Claims with Holistic Billing
As a medical billing provider with a special focus on holistic and integrative health practices, such as massage therapy practices, Holistic Billing Services can help you get credentialed by your region’s CCN and help you start treating veterans right away. We have plenty of experience navigating the unique VA billing guidelines, which allows us to maximize your reimbursements and keep your practice’s revenue flowing.
To learn more about how you can get started providing acupuncture for veterans and active service members without worrying about having your VA claims denied, talk to our massage therapy billing and coding experts today!
Referrals are a fantastic method for gaining new patients at your massage therapy practice, but you can’t rely solely on them as a sustainable marketing strategy. Part of your future growth and success depends upon having a comprehensive advertising approach that can target a few different audiences across a variety of platforms. Keep reading to learn more about leveraging marketing to sustain a successful massage therapy practice!
Why Are Marketing and Advertising Important Avenues of Growth For Your Massage Therapy Practice?
Running a successful massage therapy practice means you’re marketing and advertising your services to the community you serve. After all, marketing and advertising are how you attract new customers, outline the services you provide and maintain relevance in your target market. Without utilizing strategies that promote your massage therapy practice, what are the odds of someone stumbling across it? Word of mouth is just one component of a comprehensive marketing strategy—there are several other avenues to take advantage of!
Marketing your massage therapy practice in the community you serve, explaining who you are and what your story is, and providing blurbs of meaningful content are all great manners to get noticed and attract your most loyal patients. After all, your massage therapy practice can’t grow if you don’t show it off!
How Much Should You Budget For Massage Therapy Advertising?
A good rule of thumb is to invest approximately 5% of your gross revenue on marketing activities if you want to maintain the size of your massage therapy practice. For example, if you collect $10,000 per month you should be budget around $500 per month on marketing and advertising tactics.
On the other hand, if you’re ramping up to grow your massage practice, it’s recommended that you spend between 7% and 15% of your gross revenue on marketing—depending on your goals and available budget for growth. It’s also understandable if your marketing budget changes a little bit over time; it should be somewhat flexible to account for the status and potential growth of your massage therapy practice.
What Is A Customer’s Lifetime Value?
As the name suggests, a customer’s lifetime value (CLV) is a prediction of the total financial worth of a patient to your massage therapy practice. CLV can be applied to any industry, but it’s incredibly practical to calculate it for the healthcare and service fields.
A Customer’s Lifetime Value can be measured in the following way:
Average Annual Value x Relationship Years + Patient Referral Value
= Customer Lifetime Value
First, we determine how much the average patient generates per year. For example, if you have a patient who visits your massage therapy practice once per month and each visit costs $100, then the total revenue generated is $1200. Factor in a 20% profit margin and the Average Annual Value of a massage therapy patient is $240.
Let’s say this patient continues going to your massage therapy practice for 10 years before moving to another state:
AAV ($240) x Relationship (10 years) = $2,400.
Patient Referral Value is the amount of additional revenue the original patient brings into your massage therapy practice by spreading the word about your services. If a patient refers two additional clients to your practice, and the total Average Annual Value for those patients combined is $480—which is $4,800 over 10 years—then the original patient’s official lifetime value is $7,200.
How Does CLV Impact Your Holistic Practice?
The lifetime value of a patient is equated to the anticipated total amount they’ll spend at your massage therapy practice. Knowing this figure for each of your patients is essential for planning your financial future and determining how much to invest in acquiring new patients or retaining current ones. Overall, CLV is directly connected to the profit level attached to each customer relationship; if you estimate a patient’s CLV to be $500, you wouldn’t want to spend more than that number to maintain the relationship since it wouldn’t be profitable to your massage therapy practice.
Once you start consistently measuring customer lifetime value, you can begin to implement specific strategies around pricing, sales, advertising, and patient retention with the goal of reducing costs and boosting profit. After all, when you know what to financially expect from a typical patient over the course of their relationship with your massage therapy practice, you can make educated spending decisions to ensure you maximize profitability and continue to attract the right types of customers.
5 Massage Therapy Marketing Ideas
When outlining an advertising plan for your massage therapy, keep these tips in mind:
Network with the Health Practitioners in Your Area
Whether you’re an experienced massage therapist or new to the industry—or your community—a great way to gain reliable patient referrals is through the doctors, naturopathic doctors, chiropractors, physiotherapists, and other holistic practitioners in your area. These providers work with clients who might desire a holistic approach to take care of their wellbeing, in addition to medical services. Plus, patients who are referred to you in this manner have a high probability of following through and becoming long-term, paying clients.
Invest in the Patient Experience
Patient experience entails every instance of connection between your patients and your massage therapy practice’s brand, including visits to your practice, phone calls to your front desk, engagement with your online presence, and even their exposure to advertising and social media. Optimizing the patient experience is a practice-wide effort that’s a process of monitoring, listening, and incorporating feedback from patients that add up to a continuous improvement of your massage therapy practice.
Leverage the Power of Social Media
Social media is ever more essential for patient communication and for potential patients to learn more about your massage therapy practice. Your overall online presence will affect the opinion a potential patient has of your brand moving forward, so be sure to take social media accounts, mentions, and responses into your customer experience strategy.
Start a Loyalty Program
A loyalty program incentivizes patients to continue visiting your massage therapy practice by offering discounts or benefits in return; it might take the form of a punch card or a points system that patients acquire with each visit. Although it’s not intended to be the sole method of retaining patients, a loyalty program can yield great results when it’s well done and implemented smoothly.
Facilitate Word of Mouth Marketing
Word of mouth marketing is a cornerstone of any massage therapy practice’s advertising plan. Potential clients who hear wonderful things about your practice from current patients are more likely to trust those reviews than almost any web presence or standalone marketing plan. Social media and other online review sites are excellent avenues to encourage your patients to talk about your massage therapy practice.
Massage Therapy Advertising Examples
- Massage Envy’s website boasts a holiday incentive program that promotes giving the gift of self-care to a loved one—a form of word of mouth marketing—yet treats the buyer with a $20 gift card in return. Plus, their site includes headers for the services offered—massage, stretch, and facials—so clients can easily navigate to what they’re looking for.
- Massage Studio, a local practice in Tampa, Florida, utilizes imagery to convey the goal of relaxation at their practice. Headers make it easy for clients to make appointments and a featured Etiquette page lets hesitant clients know what to expect, which helps break down trepidation about getting a massage. Promoting pertinent information on the homepage helps the site’s visitors feel that the practice is trustworthy, which benefits the brand’s image.
- CityTouch Massage Therapy, based in New York City, appeals to clients by proclaiming they now accept insurance. This can help make massage therapy more accessible to potential patients who might not explore massage options if not covered by their insurance plan.
Holistic Billing Services Supports Your Massage Therapy Practice’s Growth!
With these tips for marketing your massage therapy practice, we’re sure you’ll see sustainable growth! You can’t expand the community you serve unless your audience knows about how great your massage therapy services are—and part of ensuring the success of your practice entails having a streamlined medical billing strategy that minimizes errors while maximizing profits.
Partner with Holistic Billing Services to help grow your massage therapy practice in a variety of ways, including medical billing and coding, and facilitate the growth of your practice. Trusted since 1999, we’re here to help you put more time and attention back into your day of delivering quality care to patients.
Contact us today and let us help your massage therapy practice reach its potential!
Massage therapy is in increasing demand across the country; nearly 48 million people had a total of 214 million massages in the U.S. in 2018 alone. If you’re a licensed massage therapist feeling compelled to establish your own holistic practice, the odds are in your favor for finding clients in your community who are seeking your services.
However, starting your own practice or brainstorming a plan for sustainable growth doesn’t happen overnight—and, unfortunately, it’s not enough to be passionate about serving your community! While that passion is a great foundation and motivation, you really need a business plan to establish a strategy for your massage therapy practice and its successful future.
What Is a Medical Massage Therapist Business Plan?
Broadly speaking, a business plan is a formal, written document outlining the goals of a business, the means by which those goals will be achieved, and the metrics for measuring those goals. Essentially, a business plan provides a comprehensive strategy for the future of your business and helps you, as the owner, address the many components of operating a successful business.
With that understanding, a massage business plan is all of the above but tailored to establishing a massage therapy business. Along these lines, you’ll need to determine the general outline of your business but also navigate the medical billing and coding practices, understand the laws and regulations pertaining to your specialty, and how to market yourself to the community. Your work is important, and establishing your own holistic practice will be a fantastic asset to the patients you serve!
3 Benefits of Creating a Massage Therapy Business Plan
Owning and operating a successful massage therapy business entails managing a wide array of responsibilities; it can be overwhelming! Here’s why you need a massage therapy business plan:
Set Yourself Up For Success
There’s a popular saying: fortune favors the prepared—what seems to be “luck” on the outside is actually the result of your hard work and preparation! Taking the time and effort to compile a well-rounded business plan demonstrates to yourself and potential investors that you have a vision and a plan to bring it to fruition. Leverage your passion to bring massage therapy services to your community with a practical business plan that holds you accountable for making it a reality. After all, a business plan creates a 30% greater chance for growth—and a chance to double your success!
Keep Everything Organized
Starting a business is, unsurprisingly, a complex and complicated process that requires you to handle numerous decisions and factors. Thus, having a business plan that accounts for your holistic practice’s marketing strategy, potential supply and demand in your community, legal paperwork and certifications, and so much more will keep you and your team organized by putting everything in one place. As you learn more about the process of starting a massage therapy practice, you can just add information to the business plan and compile a list of questions with resources to find the answers.
Ensure Accountability at Your Holistic Practice
What does success look like for you and your massage therapy practice? Your practice needs to attract new patients, operate on sustainable financial practices, and have a strategy for growth over time or else risk falling stagnant and behind the competition. A business plan for your massage therapy practice can ensure accountability in terms of financial, operational, and even emotional success simply by putting your goals into writing and checking them over time.
7 Essentials You Need In Your Massage Therapist Business Plan
The business plan for your massage therapy practice needs to have some fundamental elements that set a solid foundation for your practice, both internally and externally. These essentials include:
- Executive summary: This is basically the mission and vision statement of your massage therapy practice; it’s your first impression and elevator pitch
- Business concepts: In this section, you’ll outline the who, what, and how of your practice; who is your audience, what value are you providing, and how are you going to deliver that to your patients
- Market analysis: Put your research skills to work by analyzing the market for massage therapy in your community and across the industry in general; this also can set up your marketing strategy by learning how best to attract patients
- Competitive analysis: Scope out the competition in your target area by getting insight into their pricing strategy, where they attract clients, and more
- Business strategy: This section distinguishes your massage therapy practice from the competition; for example, are you a value-based, accessible holistic practice, or do you offer specialized treatments for a small pool of clients?
- Financial plan: Divulge the costs of running your business, the current financial status of your practice, plans for medical billing and coding, how you’re funding your practice, and more; anything related to money matters goes in this section
- Operation & Implementation plan: Outline the daily operations of your practice—for example, the business hours and number of personnel you’ll have in the office—and what it’ll take to make it happen, such as the equipment or number of parking spots you’ll need
Your business plan will likely have tangents that branch off of these elements, which is to be expected and further illustrates how methodical you are regarding your practice’s future. Just be sure to start with these umbrella terms and return to them along the way of formulating your holistic practice’s plan for success.
How to Write a Massage Business Plan to Support Your Growth
The aforementioned seven essentials for your business plan set forth the sections required for a well-rounded, thoughtful business plan. In an effort to further break those broad sections down into manageable components, be sure to do the following when writing the business plan for your massage therapy practice:
Create SMART Goals
Articulating your goals is an essential step for writing your massage business plan; after all, studies show that 90% of people perform better with relevant and challenging goals.
SMART goals will help further define your business plan and establish metrics by which to determine how your massage therapy practice is operating. SMART is an acronym that fleshes out each individual goal:
- Specific: What exactly are you trying to accomplish?
- Measurable: How will you objectively judge your progress?
- Attainable: Make sure you’re not trying to wrap up too many things into one goal.
- Realistic: Carefully evaluate your available resources and skillsets when making your goal.
- Timely: Give yourself a deadline—and stick to it as best as you can.
For example, you might set a SMART goal to gain 10 new patient reviews in one month. If you have an established practice of 50 patients, that might align well with your goals, but if you only have 7 patients, then you’ll need to adjust your aims.
Do Your Research
This might be an obvious point, but it’s worth repeating: your massage therapy business plan should be researched from start to finish so you can make informed decisions regarding your practice’s strategy for growth and overall success. To start:
- Learn more about your market and how best to market your practice to acquire new patients
- Scope out the competition to see what they’re doing well or where you would improve on their methods
- Network with physicians in the area to establish connections and gain patient referrals
- Find out what events are happening in the community that you can host a table at to get more awareness about your holistic practice
- Ask current patients for feedback and for them to write a review to see if there are pain points you can address
While there won’t necessarily be a finish line when doing research—since new ideas, opinions, and strategies can emerge at any point—it’s still an important factor in the planning process and one that will greatly benefit your massage therapy practice.
Consider Strategic Partnerships That Support Your Growth
Running a successful massage therapy practice doesn’t happen overnight and it takes a lot of work that can feel overwhelming on your own. When writing the business plan for your massage therapy practice, consider one or two aspects that might be able to be automated or delegated to a partner organization.
One crucial element of your massage therapy practice’s success lies in your revenue cycle management process, which includes medical billing and coding, insurance reimbursements, compliance with important laws and regulations, and more. You don’t need to navigate those complicated components of your practice alone—the team of experts at Holistic Billing Services can take care of it all for you!
Established in 1999, Holistic Billing Service is an integrative health services firm focused on streamlining your documentation, billing, and coding process to enhance your revenue cycle management. We empower holistic practitioners to focus on delivering quality patient care and growing their practices.
Contact us today to see how we can accelerate your massage therapy practice’s growth!