Washington State Massage Therapy Association - Government Relations Blog Entry

Correction--Call to Action For E2SHB 1589 (Contract Fairness)

23 Mar 2025 1:45 AM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Calling all LMTs: Sign in today to support Engrossed 2nd Substitute House Bill (E2SHB) 1589, Deadline: Tuesday 3/25/25 by 9:30am

Correction: The deadline date is Tuesday 3/25/25 by 9:30am and not Monday 3/24/25 as previously stated in the prior blog posting.

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association (WSMTA) strongly supports E2SHB 1589 and encourages all LMTs to do the same. This bill gives healthcare providers greater opportunity to review and negotiate their health insurance provider contracts (to include their reimbursement rate) -- as independent providers, massage therapists are currently forced into “take-it-or-leave-it” contracts without negotiation.

Current Situation:

E2SHB 1589, will have a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care this Monday. The Coalition Lobbyists have been working hard to keep this bill moving. At the Public Hearing, select members of the Coalition's Lobbyists will testify in support of this bill. We need you sign in before 9:30am on Tuesday 3/25/25 to indicate your support for this bill!

How do you show support for E2SHB 1589?

We encourage everyone to indicate a "pro" position to support the bill.
Go to the Washington State Legislature's website by clicking on this link: E2SHB 1589 webpage
On the right-hand side of the page is a green box that says, I would like to testify/submit written testimony, click on it.
When the next page pops up, scroll down and click the button for "E2SHB 1589 Health carriers & contractors" and pick:

I would like my position noted for the legislative record

We encourage you to please choose not to testify in person or remotely. The coalition has organized and coordinated this effort.

We encourage every LMT in Washington to sign in immediately and make your position known to the legislators. The more who sign in to support the bill, the more attention the bill will receive. All bill support must be made by 1 hour prior to the public hearing to be counted.

Recent History:

This bill passed out of the House on March 8 with a vote of 73 yeas and 23 nays last week. As time passes on this bill, the Insurance carriers are working harder to prevent this bill from going through. There is a coalition of 20 healthcare professions including massage therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech therapy and more who have been advocating for this bill. Now we need every LMT to support this bill, yet again.

What does E2SHB 1589 do for LMTs and other healthcare providers?

This bill preserves clients’ access to care by requiring insurance companies to engage in good faith negotiations with independent health care providers. “Good faith” means the insurer must:

Offer a meaningful opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contract
Provide a contact person for negotiations
Indicate how the contract is different from the previous contract
Share an easily accessible proposed fee schedule prior to contracting

SHB 1589 also prohibits:

Requiring providers to take discounts that are not part of the original contract
Take-it-or-leave-it clauses

Please support SHB 1589 to protect client access to necessary and cost-effective Massage Therapy care! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

Call to Action For E2SHB 1589 (Contract Fairness)

22 Mar 2025 1:17 AM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Calling all LMTs: Sign in today to support Engrossed 2nd Substitute House Bill (E2SHB) 1589, Deadline: Monday 3/24/25 by 9:30am

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association (WSMTA) strongly supports E2SHB 1589 and encourages all LMTs to do the same. This bill gives healthcare providers greater opportunity to review and negotiate their health insurance provider contracts (to include their reimbursement rate) -- as independent providers, massage therapists are currently forced into “take-it-or-leave-it” contracts without negotiation.

Current Situation:

E2SHB 1589, will have a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care this Monday. The Coalition Lobbyists have been working hard to keep this bill moving. At the Public Hearing, select members of the Coalition's Lobbyists will testify in support of this bill. We need you sign in before 9:30am on Monday 3/24/25 to indicate your support for this bill!

How do you show support for E2SHB 1589?

We encourage everyone to indicate a "pro" position to support the bill.
Go to the Washington State Legislature's website by clicking on this link: E2SHB 1589 webpage
On the right-hand side of the page is a green box that says, I would like to testify/submit written testimony, click on it.
When the next page pops up, scroll down and click the button for "E2SHB 1589 Health carriers & contractors" and pick:

I would like my position noted for the legislative record

We encourage you to please choose not to testify in person or remotely. The coalition has organized and coordinated this effort.

We encourage every LMT in Washington to sign in immediately and make your position known to the legislators. The more who sign in to support the bill, the more attention the bill will receive. All bill support must be made by 1 hour prior to the public hearing to be counted.

Recent History:

This bill passed out of the House on March 8 with a vote of 73 yeas and 23 nays last week. As time passes on this bill, the Insurance carriers are working harder to prevent this bill from going through. There is a coalition of 20 healthcare professions including massage therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech therapy and more who have been advocating for this bill. Now we need every LMT to support this bill, yet again.

What does E2SHB 1589 do for LMTs and other healthcare providers?

This bill preserves clients’ access to care by requiring insurance companies to engage in good faith negotiations with independent health care providers. “Good faith” means the insurer must:

Offer a meaningful opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contract
Provide a contact person for negotiations
Indicate how the contract is different from the previous contract
Share an easily accessible proposed fee schedule prior to contracting

SHB 1589 also prohibits:

Requiring providers to take discounts that are not part of the original contract
Take-it-or-leave-it clauses

Please support SHB 1589 to protect client access to necessary and cost-effective Massage Therapy care! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

Call to Action For 2SHB 1589 (Contract Fairness)

6 Mar 2025 11:29 AM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Calling all LMTs: Sign in ASAP to support 2nd Substitute House Bill (2SHB) 1589

Things are coming down to the wire on 2SHB 1589. Tuesday night, this bill moved out of the House Rules Committee to be read in and placed into status for a 2nd Reading. We ask that you contact your House Representatives and ask them to help pull it to the House Floor for a vote. It has to be voted out of the House by March 12, which is next Wednesday.

What can you do to help this process, right now?

The coalition is lobbying to move this bill along; however, we really need the help of all LMTs to get this bill through the House floor. To do this we ask that you contact your House Representatives and tell them about the need for contract fairness in order for individual providers to be able to negotiate with insurance carriers in a fair and meaningful way.

There are two ways you can do this.

If you already have a personal relationship with your House Representatives, set up a meeting and meet with them by phone, zoom or in person. Ask them to pull 2HSB 1589 to the House floor for a vote.
If you don’t know your House Representatives, find your House Representatives (not your Senate Representative) by clicking on the link: https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/1589 and type in your home address.
- WSMTA would ask that you click on the button for “support” after you fill in your contact information.
- You can indicate if you would like contact back from your House Representatives.
- Ask them to pull 2HSB 1589 to the House floor for a vote. You can tell your House Representatives why this bill is important to you if you currently are an insurance provider. Or, if you have dropped, or are considering dropping being an insurance provider, let them know about any reasons for this related to contract fairness. If you are not an insurance provider, state how it impacts your profession and your clients/patients by not having the ability to negotiate a fair contract and by not having enough massage therapy insurance providers.
- You can also ask to talk to your House Representatives, just state this in the comment section.

Level of urgency:

Please reach out to your House Representatives as soon as you read this article, time is very urgent as the deadlines to move things along in the legislature are constantly approaching.

What else can you do?

Reach out to your colleagues, regardless of profession, and let them know of the urgency of getting this bill passed. The number of voices that legislators hear from is very important.

What are the talking points for 2SHB 1589 -- concerning the relationships between health carriers and contracting providers? (referred to as “Contract Fairness”)

2SHB 1589 preserves clients’ access to care by requiring insurance companies to engage in good faith negotiations with independent health care providers. “Good faith” means the insurer must:

Offer a meaningful opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contract
Provide a contact person for negotiations
Indicate how the contract is different from the previous contract
Share an easily accessible proposed fee schedule prior to contracting

2SHB 1589 also prohibits:

Requiring providers to take discounts that are not part of the original contract
Take-it-or-leave-it clauses

There is a coalition of 20 healthcare professions including massage therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech therapy and more who have been advocating for this bill. Now we need every LMT to support this bill

Thank you to everyone who has made your opinion known on this bill!

WSMTA is thankful for everyone who has followed up on a call-to-action to make your opinion known on what was originally HB 1589, but is now known as 2^nd Substitute House Bill 1589 or 2SHB 1589. Your actions are very important and have helped to move this bill forward. But we need your continued help to pull it further along the process.

Please support 2SHB 1589 to protect client access to necessary and cost-effective Massage Therapy care! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

We Need Your Continued Help For 2SHB 1589 (Contract Fairness)

4 Mar 2025 12:39 PM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association (WSMTA) strongly supports 2nd Substitute House Bill (2SHB) 1589 and encourages all LMTs to do the same. This bill gives healthcare providers greater opportunity to review and negotiate their health insurance provider contracts -- as independent providers, massage therapists are currently forced into “take-it-or-leave-it” contracts without negotiation. To see the details of this bill, click HERE.

For background information on how a bill becomes a law in Washington State, please read this blog, “How Bills Are Processed Through The Legislature”

Thank you to everyone who has made your opinion known on this bill!

WSMTA is thankful for everyone who has followed up on a call-to-action to make your opinion known on what was originally HB 1589, but is now known as 2^nd Substitute House Bill 1589 or 2SHB 1589. Your actions are very important and have helped to move this bill forward.

Update on 2SHB 1589

Substitute House Bill 1589 had been moved to the House Appropriations Committee for a public hearing on 2/25/25 and was voted out as “due pass” in its 2/27/25 Appropriations Committee Executive Meeting. At each step of the way, this bill has received strong support. It was passed out of the Appropriations Committee as 2SHB 1589 with 27 Ayes and 4 Nays which means that it had strong support across party lines.

Next steps for 2SHB 1589

2SHB 1589 will now go through a House Rules Review. During this process the House Rules committee decides which bills to present to the house floor for a vote. But before movement can occur it first needs to be “read in”. This bill has until March 12th to make it through the House. If it doesn’t get passed from the House to the Senate by then it will die.

What can you do to help this process, right now?

The coalition is lobbying to move this bill along; however, we need the help of all LMTs to get this bill through the House floor. To do this we ask that you contact your House Representatives and tell them about the need for contract fairness in order for individual providers to be able to negotiate with insurance carriers in a fair and meaningful way.

There are two ways you can do this.

If you already have a personal relationship with your House Representatives, set up a meeting and meet with them by phone, zoom or in person.
If you don’t know your House Representatives, find your House Representatives (not your Senate Representative) by clicking on the link: https://app.leg.wa.gov/pbc/bill/1589 and type in your home address.
- WSMTA would ask that you click on the button for “support” after you fill in your contact information.
- You can indicate if you would like contact back from your House Representatives.
- You can tell your House Representatives why this bill is important to you if you currently are an insurance provider. Or, if you have dropped, or are considering dropping being an insurance provider, let them know about any reasons for this related to contract fairness. If you are not an insurance provider, state how it impacts your profession and your clients/patients by not having the ability to negotiate a fair contract and by not having enough massage therapy insurance providers.
- You can also ask to talk to your House Representatives, just state this in the comment section.

Level of urgency:

Please reach out to your House Representatives as soon as you read this article, time is very urgent as the deadlines to move things along in the legislature are constantly approaching.

What else can you do?

Reach out to your colleagues, regardless of profession, and let them know of the urgency of getting this bill passed. The number of voices that legislators hear from is very important.

What are the talking points for 2SHB 1589 -- concerning the relationships between health carriers and contracting providers? (referred to as “Contract Fairness”)

2SHB 1589 preserves clients’ access to care by requiring insurance companies to engage in good faith negotiations with independent health care providers. “Good faith” means the insurer must:

Offer a meaningful opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contract
Provide a contact person for negotiations
Indicate how the contract is different from the previous contract
Share an easily accessible proposed fee schedule prior to contracting

2SHB 1589 also prohibits:

Requiring providers to take discounts that are not part of the original contract
Take-it-or-leave-it clauses

There is a coalition of 20 healthcare professions including massage therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech therapy and more who have been advocating for this bill. Now we need every LMT to support this bill

Please support 2SHB 1589 to protect client access to necessary and cost-effective Massage Therapy care! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

Urgent! Show Your Support for SHB 1589 -- Insurance Contract Fairness

24 Feb 2025 8:24 PM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Calling all LMTs: Sign in today to support Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1589, Deadline: Tuesday 2/25/25 by Noon

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association (WSMTA) strongly supports Substitute House Bill (SHB) 1589 and encourages all LMTs to do the same. This bill gives healthcare providers greater opportunity to review and negotiate their health insurance provider contracts -- as independent providers, massage therapists are currently forced into “take-it-or-leave-it” contracts without negotiation.

Current Situation:

SHB 1589, last week passed the House Health Care & Wellness Committee with a solid vote of 16-2 and 1 excused. The bill is now scheduled for a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, February 25 at 1:30pm and we need you to sign-in in support of the bill. We need you sign in before noon on Tuesday 2/25/25!

How do you show support for SHB 1589?

We encourage everyone to indicate a "pro" position to support the bill.
Go to the Washington State Legislature's website by clicking on this link: SHB 1589 webpage
On the right-hand side of the page is a green box that says, I would like to testify/submit written testimony, click on it.
When the next page pops up, scroll down and click the button for "SHB 1589 Health carriers & contractors" and pick:

I would like my position noted for the legislative record

We encourage you to please choose not to testify in person or remotely. The coalition has organized and coordinated this effort.

We encourage every LMT in Washington to sign in immediately and make your position known to the legislators. The more who sign in to support the bill, the more attention the bill will receive. All bill support must be made by 1 hour prior to the public hearing to be counted.

What does SHB 1589 do for LMTs and other healthcare providers?

SHB 1589 preserves clients’ access to care by requiring insurance companies to engage in good faith negotiations with independent health care providers. “Good faith” means the insurer must:

Offer a meaningful opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contract
Provide a contact person for negotiations
Indicate how the contract is different from the previous contract
Share an easily accessible proposed fee schedule prior to contracting

SHB 1589 also prohibits:

Requiring providers to take discounts that are not part of the original contract
Take-it-or-leave-it clauses

There is a coalition of 20 healthcare professions including massage therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech therapy and more who have been advocating for this bill. Now we need every LMT to support this bill

Please support SHB 1589 to protect client access to necessary and cost-effective Massage Therapy care! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

Urgent! Show Your Support for SB 5507 -- Providing Massage to Medicaid Patients

13 Feb 2025 10:33 AM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Calling all LMTs: Sign in today to support Senate Bill (SB) 5507, Deadline: Friday 2/14/25 7:00am

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association (WSMTA) strongly supports Senate Bill (SB) 5507 and encourages all LMTs to do the same.

What is SB 5507 About?

Washington State Senate Bill 5507 aims to expand Medicaid (Apple Health) to cover medically necessary massage therapy as a non-pharmacological treatment for pain management. This legislation is critical in addressing the opioid crisis, ensuring that low-income patients have access to safe, effective, and evidence-based pain relief. While chiropractic and acupuncture services are now covered by Medicaid, massage therapy—despite its proven benefits—remains an out-of-pocket expense for Medicaid patients, creating a significant barrier to equitable healthcare.

Who Originated the Bill Content for SB 5507?

The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) Washington Chapter developed the idea for the bill and did the hard work to get it introduced in to the Senate (along with it's companion House Bill (HB) 1093). WSMTA fully endorses their work on this bill and encourages all Washington LMTs to support it as well. We are providing AMTA-WA's information about the bill to maintain consistency of message.

Why is This Bill Important?

Massage therapy is widely recognized as a clinically effective treatment for chronic pain, including back pain, osteoarthritis, migraines, fibromyalgia, and post-surgical recovery. Numerous healthcare organizations, including the Veterans Health Administration and Mayo Clinic, support its role in integrative pain management. Research has shown that access to massage therapy can significantly reduce opioid dependency, lower healthcare costs, and improve patient outcomes.

SB 5507 will ensure that, beginning January 1, 2027, Medicaid will cover massage therapy when prescribed by an authorized provider. This bill is a critical step in expanding access to non-pharmacological pain management, reducing reliance on opioids, and improving health equity for Washington’s most vulnerable residents. We ask that you to support this bill to provide essential pain relief options to Medicaid patients.

What Can You Do to Support This Bill?

The bill is having a public hearing on Friday Feb 14, 2025 in the Senate Health & Long-Term Care at 8:00 AM. AMTA-WA has set up people to testify for the bill hearing and they need your support on the bill before Friday at 7am. You can sign up on the bill page to let the Senate Committee and make help make it known that this bill is supported by our profession.

How Do You Show Your Support for SB 5507?

We encourage everyone to indicate a "pro" position to support the bill.
Go to the Washington State Legislature's website by clicking on this link: SB 5507 webpage
On the right-hand side of the page is a green box that says, I would like to testify/submit written testimony, click on it.
When the next page pops up, scroll down and click the button for "SB 5507 Massage Therapy Coverage" and pick either:

I would like my position noted for the legislative record

I would like to submit written testimony: We do encourage everyone who feels strongly about providing massage to medicaid clients to tell your story about why this is important to you.

We encourage you to please choose not to testify in person or remotely. AMTA-WA has organized and coordinated this effort.

We encourage every LMT in Washington to sign in immediately and make your position known to the legislators. The more who sign in to support the bill, the more attention the bill will receive. All written testimony and bill support must be made by 1 hour prior to the public hearing to be counted.
You can read the bill language by clicking HERE to open a PDF.

Please support SB 5507 whether you would personally choose to work with Medicaid patients or not. Help create a pathway for Medicaid patients to receive massage therapy services! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

How Bills Are Processed Through The State Legislature

13 Feb 2025 9:38 AM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Here is a summary of the process a bill goes through to become a law in Washington State:

Lobbyists and citizens approach a legislator(s) with a problem or bill language already created.
If a legislator(s) in either the House or Senate supports the bill, the language is formalized into bill language, they file it and the bill receives a number.
The bill is read into the chamber it is introduced in (House or Senate) and then assigned to a committee. Most, but not all healthcare bills are assigned to either the House Committee on Health Care & Wellness or the Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
If the bill will affect the state government’s budget, then it also must be assigned to a fiscal committee for review as well.
If it has enough support, a public hearing may be held in which anyone can show their support for or against a bill, both written and public testimony is heard.
There are two sets of reviews, if the bill receives enough support it is eventually voted out of committee to the full floor of the house (House or Senate) it is in.
Once a bill makes it to the full floor of the House or Senate there are a series of debates and readings in which a bill may be amended or continue unchanged.
If it is approved on the floor, then the bill is moved to the other house (the House sends the bill to the Senate, or the Senate sends the bill to the House).
The bill then goes through a similar process in the other house. However, sometimes companion bills are co-introduced in both houses at roughly the same time and both work their way through their respective houses at the same time.
If both the House and the Senate approve the bill, then it goes to the Governor for approval and signature.
There are specific deadlines which bills must meet, or the bill “dies” and does not move forward.

For a more detailed process you can visit the Legislature’s website at: https://leg.wa.gov/learn-and-participate/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law/

For the state legislature’s calendar click this link for deadline dates: https://leg.wa.gov/bills-meetings-and-session/session/

2025 Update: Massage Compact

5 Feb 2025 8:24 AM | WSMTA (Administrator)

It is important for all massage therapists in our state to learn about the Interstate Massage Compact. As Washington nurses experienced in 2023, it's not always a profession's choice to enter a compact. Washington nurses were entered into their Nurse Licensure Compact against their will because the lobbyists for large employers of nurses (e.g. hospitals and large clinics) had greater influence and money than their own. WSMTA believes that what happened to the nurses in Washington in 2023 could happen to massage therapists as well. We would like LMTs in our state to know what the details of the Interstate Massage Compact are as well as the issues, so you can make informed decisions.

Current system in Washington: The system that is currently in place for licensed massage therapists wanting to move from other states to Washington is called, “Licensing By Endorsement for Out-of-State Applicants”. WAC 246-830-035 provides for licensed massage therapists from other states that have substantially equivalent requirements to be granted a license in Washington. If the massage therapist comes from a state that does not have substantially equivalent requirements there is WAC 246-830-037 Transfer Programs, that will guide the massage therapist in getting the additional education they need to qualify for a Washington massage license. If an out of state massage therapist wanted to work temporarily (180 days) in Washington they could use RCW .130.075 Temporary Practice Permits. Almost all states have a “licensing by endorsement” process to admit qualified out-of-state LMTs to their state.

Why do we have Occupational Licensure Compacts? Through licensure compacts, states establish uniform standards to lower barriers to multi-state practice. A state still maintains their own laws and regulations regarding its professions, but by joining a licensure compact, multistate compact licensees are allowed to practice within other compact member states. States that meet the eligibility criteria join interstate compacts by agreeing to the uniform provisions through the legislative process. Essentially, the goal is to create a more streamlined process for licensed professionals to work in multiple states without having to obtain a license in each state that they want to work in. Washington state currently participates in five Healthcare Compacts: Nurse Licensure Compact, Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, Physical Therapy Compact, Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact and Occupational Therapy Compact.

One of the most misunderstood things about all Professional Compacts is that a Compact License, also known as a Multi-State License does NOT help you to move, it only helps you to temporarily work in another Compact Member State. You must continue to maintain a residence and a single state license (your current state massage license) from your Home State at all times.

Massage Licensure Compact: The Interstate Massage Compact was created via a partnership between the Department of Defense (DoD), Council of State Governments (CSG) and the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards (FSMTB). This Compact does not become effective until seven states pass legislation to enter into the Compact agreement. At the time of this writing, two states passed Massage Compact legislation, (Nevada and Ohio) and nine states have pending legislation, (Montana, Virginia, Arkansas, Connecticut, Illinois, Georgia, New York, Maine and Alabama). Currently, there is no Massage Compact legislation pending in Washington.

Issues related to joining the Compact:

Healthcare provider vs personal service provider: In Washington, massage therapists are somewhat unique in that they are classified as healthcare providers. In most states, massage therapists are personal service providers.
- WSMTA has learned from Washington massage schools that have transfer programs, that massage therapists coming to work in Washington from another state where they were trained as a personal service provider often have some very large gaps in their educational background and their understanding of the regulatory minefield of being a healthcare provider.
Lowering the educational standards of Multi-State Licensees while raising Washington’s own educational standards: Washington currently requires 625 hours of education, with a very specific breakdown of subject matter, from a Board approved massage school to qualify to receive a massage license. The Board of Massage is currently in discussion about increasing this minimum requirement to 750 hours due to the fact that massage therapists are healthcare providers. A Multi-State licensee must have 625 hours of education, but they are allowed to cobble together these hours from a massage program and continuing education hours.
Multi-State Licensees more than likely will not be aware of all of Washington's massage laws and regulations: The Compact’s legislative language does not require that a Multi-State licensee take a Jurisprudence exam. So, it is highly probable that a Multi-State licensee will NOT be familiar with Washington massage regulation. The Compact language also allows for a Multi-State licensee to work in Washington and not report that they are here to the Department of Health. So, if there are regulatory changes they would never receive any notification of the changes.
Costs for joining the compact that will impact state licensing fees: There will be expenses to the Department of Health and Board of Massage to join the Compact, such as the expenses to implement the requirements of the Compact, and an annual fee levied by the Compact for being a member state (as stated in the Compact’s legislative language). In addition, our state would be responsible for disciplinary costs to manage complaints against Compact licensees while temporarily working in our state. In Washington, the Board of Massage, by law, must be self-supporting. So, if its expenses go up, licensing fees go up for Washington massage therapists.

WSMTA’s biggest concerns relate to public safety as well as the impact to our profession in our state. Would massage therapists working in our state through the Massage Compact work and conduct themselves in a way that could undermine the decades that many of us in Washington have dedicated to raising the professionalism of massage therapy as healthcare? In Washington, we have finally won the respect of other healthcare providers and massage consumers. We have shown that we can help people to relax and unwind and we can successfully treat their musculoskeletal issues too!

Conclusion: WSMTA is a big supporter of greater portability in the massage profession. We wholeheartedly endorse the idea of greater standardization in the regulation of the massage profession. But let's make sure that it benefits and uplifts the professionalism of massage as both wellness and treatment.

WSMTA has published a wealth of information about the Massage Compact. All that information can be found on our website.https://www.mywsmta.org/page-1075510 and https://www.mywsmta.org/Interstate-Compact-Blog-Entry

Be on the look out for a second Interstate Massage Compact 2025 Update in the coming weeks. This Update will discuss some of the known structural issues of the Nurses Compact (which is the Compact that the Massage Compact is based on), that have been problematic for nurses as well as some other potential issues to be aware of.

Urgent! Show Your Support for HB 1589 -- Insurance Contract Fairness

1 Feb 2025 10:51 PM | Robbin Blake (Administrator)

Thank you to everyone who showed their support for HB 1589 by signing in and showing your "pro" support. The "call-to-action" in this blog posting is now expired. We will keep you posted with future blogs about this bill.

Calling all LMTs: Sign in today to support House Bill (HB) 1589, Deadline: 2/4/25 12:30pm

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association (WSMTA) strongly supports House Bill (HB) 1589 and encourages all LMTs to do the same. This bill gives healthcare providers greater opportunity to review and negotiate their health insurance provider contracts -- as independent providers, massage therapists are currently forced into “take-it-or-leave-it” contracts without negotiation.

What does HB 1589 do for LMTs and other healthcare providers?

HB 1589 preserves clients’ access to care by requiring insurance companies to engage in good faith negotiations with independent health care providers. “Good faith” means the insurer must:

Offer a meaningful opportunity to negotiate the terms of the contract
Provide a contact person for negotiations
Indicate how the contract is different from the previous contract
Share an easily accessible proposed fee schedule prior to contracting

HB 1589 also prohibits:

Requiring providers to take discounts that are not part of the original contract
Take-it-or-leave-it clauses

What can you do to support HB 1589?

We need every Washington LMT to support this bill by going to HB 1589's webpage and indicating your support for it. On February 4, this bill will have a public hearing in the House's Healthcare and Wellness Committee at 1:30pm (time is subject to change).

There is a coalition of 20 healthcare professions including massage therapy, chiropractic, physical therapy, speech therapy and more who have been advocating for this bill. Now, we need every LMT to support this bill.

How do you show support for HB 1589?

We encourage everyone to indicate a "pro" position to support the bill.
Go to the Washington State Legislature's website by clicking on this link: HB 1589 webpage
On the right-hand side of the page is a green box that says, I would like to testify/submit written testimony, click on it.
When the next page pops up, scroll down and click the button for "HB 1589 Health carriers & contractors" and pick either:

I would like my position noted for the legislative record

I would like to submit written testimony: We do encourage everyone who is, or who has been, a health insurance provider to provide written testimony and provide your story about your personal experience with health insurance contracts.

We encourage you to please choose not to testify in person or remotely. The coalition has organized and coordinated this effort.

We encourage every LMT in Washington to sign in immediately and make your position known to the legislators. The more who sign in to support the bill, the more attention the bill will receive. All written testimony and bill support must be made by 1 hour prior to the public hearing to be counted.
If you need more support to figure out how to sign in, please click on the following link to see a PDF showing step-by-step directions including what each page looks like, click HERE.
You can read the bill language by clicking HERE to open a PDF.

Please support HB 1589 to protect client access to necessary and cost-effective Massage Therapy care! Thank you.

The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.

Keeping You Informed: HR 9755 (Fingerprinting LMTs)

6 Nov 2024 7:04 AM | WSMTA (Administrator)

Keeping You Informed: HR 9755 (Fingerprinting LMTs)

Usually, the WSMTA Government Relations (GR) team works to keep you in the know about state level legislation and regulations. Today, I want to bring your attention to a bill at the Federal level. If this bill is passed in the “other Washington”, it would have far reaching implications for Washington State massage therapists.

HR 9755 is a bill that was introduced on the floor of the United States House of Representative by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO-3) on September 23, 2024. The name of the bill is the Human Trafficking Fingerprint Background Check Protection Act of 2024 (click the link to read the HR 9755 bill language).

What is HR 9755?

“The stated purpose of the bill is to require owners and employees of massage wellness spas to undergo fingerprint-based background checks to mitigate the risk of human trafficking and enhance public safety.”

“The term “massage wellness spa” is defined as a business establishment where various forms of massage therapy are offered. A facility where licensed massage therapists provide therapeutic treatments designed to promote relaxation, relieve stress, alleviate pain, and improve overall health and well-being. This definition includes massage parlors, massage facilities, massage spa, and any other facility where the core service is to provide massage services of any kind.”

How Does HR 9755 Affect LMT’s?

What this means is that ALL of us would have to submit to a fingerprint-based background check. Owners, employees, independent contractors would have to pass the background check before being allowed to continue our work.

New owners would have to pass the background check prior to being able to open a massage business, employees would have to pass before becoming employed, independent contractors would have to pass before being allowed to lease a space in a massage business.

HR 9755 Creates Additional Burdens for Clinic Owners

If you are the owner of a massage facility, YOU will be the person responsible for making sure that all of your employees or independent contractors have passed the background check. You and your employees will also have to undergo mandatory training in recognizing and reporting human trafficking. Anyone who does not follow the rule will be subject to fines, license suspension or perhaps license revocation.

WSMTA’s Stance on HR 9755

The WSMTA GR team and Board of Directors have carefully reviewed the proposed bill and have chosen to oppose it after consulting with one of our trusted experts on human trafficking within massage therapy, who has extensively worked to combat this issue. Our consultant’s assessment is that the bill is both repressive and will be ineffective in achieving its intended purpose. WSMTA remains committed to advocating for measures that truly enhance safety and accountability while respecting and supporting our members and their professional integrity.

What’s Next?

The next article in this series will explore why HR 9755 is an ineffective tool in the fight against human trafficking and we will review a similar topic being discussed by our Board of Massage. Watch your inbox for future information about HR 9755.

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The WSMTA Government Relations team Is dedicated to updating and keeping you informed on issues related to legislation and regulation that impact Washington massage therapists. WSMTA advocates for massage therapy to be a recognized and respected healthcare profession by actively engaging with lawmakers and influencing legislation that affect our profession. We work to protect LMTs' rights, promote fair laws and regulations, and ensure the industry’s growth and integrity.