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ADVOCATE FOR
MASSAGE THERAPY
AS A RECOGNIZED &
RESPECTED HEALTHCARE PROFESSION


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What We Do For You

The Washington State Massage Therapy Association's Government Relations (GR) Program is vital to the fulfillment of our mission of being an Advocate for Massage Therapy as a Recognized and Respected Profession.

Some of the issues that our GR program is, or will be working on are:

  • Influencing the new massage therapy WACs the Board of Massage is revising.  We work very hard to form coalitions with other interested parties to provide a bigger voice to support our agenda in improving the WACs.
  • Attending government agency meetings and influencing them to adopt massage therapy friendly and beneficial regulations
  • Working through the OIC to require health carriers to keep their network information current so that new LMTs can get into networks when other LMTs leave the networks
  • Working with municipalities to improve their ordinances regarding the oversight of massage therapists in their city and county boundaries.
  • Networking into the Heath Care Authority to help promote massage therapy as an important part of the healthcare of seniors as it develops the program approved via HB 1087 Long Term Services and Supports Trust Program.
  • Working with other professional associations and lobbyists to help reform RCW 48.43.016 Prior authorization standards and criteria—Health carrier requirements—Definitions. This RCW went into effect in 2018 and regulates the preauthorization process that insurance companies must follow.

Volunteers

The GR Program is divided into six core segments: 

  1. Department of Health
    — Health Systems Quality Assurance Division
    — Board of Massage (BOM) 
  2. Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC)
  3. Health Care Authority (HCA) 
  4. Labor and Industries (L&I)
  5. State Legislature
  6. Municipalities

These are the primary governmental entities/agencies in Washington State that are vital to the massage profession. 

Our Board and Committee members are all unpaid volunteers working for you. If there is an agency or regulation or cause that interests you that you want to volunteer for, please let us know by emailing gr@myWSMTA.org.

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Advocate for Massage Therapy as a Recognized & Respected Healthcare Profession

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