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If you've experienced a work-related injury in Washington State, the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) may cover massage therapy as part of your recovery. Here’s how you can access and utilize your L&I benefits for massage therapy.

Before you can use L&I benefits for massage therapy, you need to file a worker's compensation claim with Washington State L&I. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Report the Injury: Notify your employer about your work-related injury as soon as possible.
2. Seek Medical Attention: Visit a healthcare provider to assess your injury. The healthcare provider will help file the initial L&I claim on your behalf.
3. Get Your Claim Number: Once your claim is filed, you will receive an L&I claim number, which you will need for all related treatments, including massage therapy.

Step 2: Get a Prescription for Massage Therapy

Massage therapy must be deemed medically necessary and prescribed by an authorized healthcare provider (e.g., your doctor or chiropractor). The prescription should include:

• The diagnosis or condition requiring massage therapy
• The frequency and duration of the treatment (e.g., 2 times per week for 4 weeks)
• Treatment goals, such as reducing pain or improving mobility

The prescription is essential for L&I to cover the costs of massage therapy.

Step 3: Schedule and Attend Your Sessions

With your prescription and claim number, you can schedule your massage therapy sessions. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:

• Schedule your appointment online or by contacting us at (425) 209-0316. Select the "Injury Treatment - L&I/Auto PIP" service for 60 minutes.
• Complete the Your Healthy Karma intake form for L&I/Auto (PIP) claims that is emailed to you upon scheduling.
• Bring Your L&I Claim Information: Provide your claim number and prescription details at your first appointment. You may email the forms to karma@yourhealthykarma.com or fax them to (425) 285-8545.
• Attend appointments and stay up to date on L&I claim status. Massage therapy is only authorized for up to 6 initial visits for the specific treatment approved by L&I. Additional visits must be authorized, and we will submit the authorization request(s) to L&I as appropriate. Keep in mind that authorizations can take time as L&I is a government agency that moves at its own pace.

If you've been injured in an auto accident in Washington State, your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance may cover massage therapy as part of your treatment plan. At Your Healthy Karma, we help you utilize your PIP benefits to support your recovery. Here’s how you can access massage therapy using your PIP coverage.

Step 1: Confirm Your PIP Coverage

Personal Injury Protection is an optional auto insurance coverage in Washington State that helps cover medical expenses, regardless of who is at fault in an accident. Before starting treatment, confirm that your auto insurance policy includes PIP coverage. Most policies provide PIP benefits ranging from $10,000 to $35,000 for medical expenses.

Step 2: Get a Prescription for Massage Therapy

Massage therapy must be deemed medically necessary and prescribed by an authorized healthcare provider (e.g., your doctor or chiropractor). The prescription should include:

• The diagnosis or condition requiring massage therapy
• The frequency and duration of the treatment (e.g., 2 times per week for 4 weeks)
• Treatment goals, such as reducing pain or improving mobility

Step 3: Schedule your massage therapy sessions at Your Healthy Karma

Once you have a prescription, contact Your Healthy Karma to schedule your massage therapy sessions: 

• Schedule your appointment online or by contacting us at (425) 209-0316
• Complete the Your Healthy Karma intake form for L&I/Auto (PIP) claims that is emailed to you upon scheduling.
• Verify your benefits: We will contact your insurance company to verify PIP coverage and confirm that your massage therapy sessions will be covered.

Step 4: Attend your massage therapy sessions

Your Healthy Karma specializes in injury treatment and will work with you to create a customized therapy plan to aid in your recovery.

• Follow the Treatment Plan: Attend sessions as prescribed to get the maximum benefit from your therapy.
• Communicate with Your Therapist: Let your therapist know about any changes in symptoms or new areas of discomfort.
• Your Healthy Karma will bill your insurance company directly only for first-party claims. See “Understanding first-party PIP claims at Your Healthy Karma” below for more information. 

Step 5: Manage your claim and treatment progress

To ensure continuous coverage of your massage therapy:

• Submit additional documentation if needed: Your insurance company may periodically request updated treatment notes or reports from your healthcare provider.
• Extend your treatment plan if necessary: If your recovery requires more sessions, a new prescription or updated documentation from your provider may be needed.

At Your Healthy Karma, we offer massage therapy services covered by personal injury protection (PIP) insurance for those injured in auto accidents. However, it's important to understand what it means when we say we will "only bill PIP directly for first-party claims." Here's what that means for you.

What is a first-party PIP claim?

A first-party PIP claim refers to when you use your own auto insurance to cover medical expenses, including massage therapy, after an auto accident. Since PIP is designed to cover your medical costs regardless of who was at fault in the accident, you can use it for your treatment.

First-party essentially means you’re the insured person using your own insurance benefits for your medical care.

How it works at Your Healthy Karma

When you file a first-party PIP claim with your auto insurance:

• Your insurance covers your medical expenses: Your PIP coverage will pay for your massage therapy sessions up to the policy limit, allowing you to get treatment without paying upfront.
• We bill your PIP insurance directly: Your Healthy Karma will handle the billing process with your PIP insurance, so you don’t have to worry about paying out-of-pocket for covered treatments.

What about third-party claims?

A third-party claim is when you seek coverage from another driver's insurance company after an accident. This could happen if the other driver was at fault and you’re trying to get their insurance to cover your medical costs. At Your Healthy Karma, we do not bill third-party insurance companies directly for massage therapy. If you’re pursuing a third-party claim, you’ll need to:

• Pay for your treatment upfront: You can then seek reimbursement from the other driver's insurance company.
• Work with an attorney: If you’re working with a personal injury attorney, they may be able to help you handle the reimbursement process.