ADVOCATE FOR MASSAGE THERAPY AS A RECOGNIZED & RESPECTED HEALTHCARE PROFESSION
Government Relations News
Call to Action needed before 5pm Today!
Thank you to all massage therapists who have responded over the past couple of weeks in support of legislation requiring health carriers to provide annual cost of living adjustments. We now have another time-sensative ask.
HB 1655* passed out of the House Health Care and Wellness Committee on 1/31/24. That's great news -- but the bill must also pass out of the Appropriations Committee by Monday 2/5/24 in order to keep the bill alive.
Click the link below to find your representative's contact info, then email them with the following message. We need you do this today before 5pm.
"I am reaching out to respectfully ask that HB 1655 has a hearing in the Appropriations Committee today. I am very thankful for your support of this bill, which would require insurers to include annual cost-of-living increases in their provider agreements. This legislation is critical for many massage therapists who struggle to keep up with the increasing costs of rent and other overhead expenses, but whose insurance carrier reimbursements have either never changed in 20 years or have only improved several times in 20 years."
Find Your Legislator's Contact Info
*You may now see HB 1655 referred to as SHB 1655. SHB stands for "Substitute House Bill" as there was an amendment to the original bill that was approved.
Sign in today to support SB 6161 -- act before midnight tonight!
This bill affects massage therapists!
To note your position for the record, click the link below. Once there:
Support 6161 by Clicking HERE to Sign in
What Else Can You Do: Reach out to your colleagues, regardless of profession, and let them know of the urgency showing your support.
Thank you for your patience with our recent emails this past week: WSMTA has sent out several emails in support of HB 1655 and SB 6161 over the last week or so. These bills are important for enabling LMTs to remain or become insurance providers in our state. We know it's a lot of emails and we thank you for your patience with them.
Call to Action #2! Act before midnight 1/29/24!
Please support HB 1655 / SB 6161: Concerning Provider Contract Compensation
Requires provider compensation increases commensurate with consumer price index increases for contracts between a health carrier and a health care provider who is not employed or affiliated with a hospital or large hospital system.
HB 1655 and SB 6161 provide a much-needed annual increase in reimbursement for private practices.
Problem
HB 1655 – Status
HB 1655 – What to Do By the End of Day 1/29/24
SB 6161 – Status
SB 6161 – What to Do By End of Day 1/29/24
Level of Urgency
What Else Can You Do
For Bill Details
Call to Action!
These bills are a first step in ensuring patients can access health care services from independent private practices.
Action
On 9/18/23, the Department of Health (DOH) processed the CR-103 which made it possible for them to send out official details about the new Health Equity CE requirement. DOH created a new section dedicated to the Health Equity CE requirement on the Massage Therapist FAQs page. For details, click the link below and scroll down to the Health Equity section towards the bottom of the page:
DOH Health Equity FAQs for Massage Therapists
Starting in your first, full continuing education (CE) reporting cycle after January 1, 2024, all LMTs must complete a minimum of two hours of CE training in health equity per reporting period. See Part 15 of chapter 246-12 WAC. (Part 15 is very last section at the bottom of the page)
The biggest misunderstanding we hear about is when your first Health Equity CE is due. LMTs must complete 2 hours of health equity starting their first full CE reporting cycle after January 1, 2024. For example, if a person's CE is due on 3/1/24, then their first health equity 2 hour requirement would be due by their first full reporting period which would be 3/1/26.
Currently there are limited health equity classes available. But over the next year there should be quite a bit more offered and more geared towards massage therapists versus classes aimed at the generic healthcare professional. The Department of Health is required to offer a limited amount of free Health Equity CE by the same law that created the health equity requirement for DOH regulated professions. To see what free Health Equity classes the DOH is offering, click the link below:
Since the start of this year, we are seeing that some LMTs are sometimes incorrectly interpreting the 8-hour "in person" massage technique requirement to include any class taught in a physical classroom, to include lecture classes. Since a lecture by definition does not involve the direct application of massage technique, a lecture class does not satisfy the 8-hour in person, directly supervised application of massage technique continuing education requirement.
WAC 246-830-475 Subsection 2a states:
(2) The following categories of continuing education are mandatory:
(a) A minimum of eight hours must be in person and directly supervised involving the participation of the direct application of massage therapy as defined in RCW 18.108.010; and
In essence, 246-830-475 Subsection 2a is stating
that all LMTs are required to complete 8 hours of in person (in a physical classroom, not online) directly supervised (an instructor teaches and remains in the classroom) involving the participation of the direct application of massage therapy as defined in RCW 18.108.010 (directly applying a massage technique).
After you fully read a class description of a CE class, if you are unsure if the class you want to take is lecture or qualifies as a massage "hands-on" class, we recommend that you ask the instructor or host of the class to get clarity.
However, in person lecture classes related to the topic of massage can be used to satisfy the "remaining" hours portion of our 24 hour CE requirement. 24 total CE hours minus 8 hours in person "hands on" minus 4 hours ethics minus up to 4 hours CPR still leaves at least 8 remaining hours of CE class.
For complete continuing education WAC details, click on the link below:
WAC 246-830-475 Continuing Education
When Governor Inslee ended the COVID state of emergency in Washington State at the close of October 2022, the masking requirement has continued to remain in effect for healthcare providers, to include massage therapists.
The proclamation on masking was issued by the Department of Health Secretary, Dr. Umair Shah, and was amended on 10/27/22 to continue masking requirements for healthcare. Regardless of whether you practice in your home, a private office, a gym, a spa, a hotel or any other environment, when your room is being used for massage, everyone within the room is required to be masked -- yourself, your client and any third party that may be sitting in the room (family member, interpreter, etc). The few exceptions are detailed in the proclamation. To read the Secretary of Health's proclamation on masking for healthcare, click on this link: https://doh.wa.gov/emergencies/covid-19/masks-and-face-coverings. Once you are on the page, just click on the link titled, The "Secretary of Health Mask Order" in the second paragraph to read the actual proclamation, which is a pdf.
Questions? If you, your employer, or landlord have questions about masking and social distancing for health care providers/facilities, please contact: John Stebbins, CSP, CIH -- L&I -- Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) -- (206) 515-2870.
At the top of the Massage Therapist page, is a section called "We Can Help You". Click on the link for "Verify Your License (Provider Credential Search)" which is: https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/provider-credential-search
If you forget when your CE is due, you can use this link to look it up. If you want to check to see if a massage license is active, expired or if there has been some form of enforcement action attached to a healthcare provider's license, you can find it on this website.
Historically, there have been 5 members on the Board of Massage -- 4 licensed massage therapists and 1 public member. The number of members was recently increased by state legislation to include another licensed massage therapist and a massage school educator (potentially a massage school owner or instructor). Meetings are currently held every other month and generally last 3-6 hours.
To read what the Board of Massage does, click on this link: https://doh.wa.gov/licenses-permits-and-certificates/professions-new-renew-or-update/massage-therapist/board-information and then click on the first link, titled again, "Board Information". To read more about the Board of Massage, continue to read through the remaining links.
Update to Substitute Senate Bill 5169 (Billing for PPE)
We first brought you information about your ability to bill for PPE in the spring of 2021. The bill that allowed for this, called out an automatic end point to the ability to bill this code. At this time, the Federal Public Health Emergency has been slated to end on October 13, 2022. So, your ability to bill this code will end on that date.
The bill language can be found here. https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature/5169-S.PL.pdf?q=20220927123546
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Advocate for Massage Therapy as a Recognized & Respected Healthcare Profession