I have been retired since late summer last year and with 28 years behind me in private practice in medical massage it has been, at times, a difficult decision. One decision that was easy to make this transition, is working with the corporate world of insurance billing. One would think it would be the best interest of the individual, whose care determines an outcome of quality of life. But the illusion is shattered when the denials come rolling in, much less the high costs of premiums that come due month after month. I do have to say, I have had some rare cases, in which I have had very helpful representatives in the insurance field. One would assume they are like everyone else, just trying to do the best they can do and earn a living. But just “eking” by is not what living is. Comparatively, when one loses the precious community, such as health, one looks a little differently at life. It still doesn’t take the bite out of health care costs though. I realize too the small, albeit, costly fraud that can happen in insurance billing, which often times penalizes the “average Jo” based on “offset” higher premiums and reduced benefits.
When working as a sole proprietor several years ago, I received a correspondence from an insurance company, whom I was an individual subscriber to, notifying of a rate increase. As was noted in the letter, this was to help reimburse more fairly medical providers. “Great “I thought this includes me, as I was also a contracted provider with this specific insurance company. And just as I expected I received a letter from the same insurance company a week later. I opened it and was dumb founded; my contracted rate had been reduced! So much for corporate fairness. I was shock at the irony. I heard in conversation from other health care providers whom are contracted with insurance, that as in the case I was experiencing, they had to work harder, see more patients and get reimbursed less. Who were the ones receiving the price increase? In the 28 years of full time private practice I cannot say I have had reimbursements to offset any cost of living or cost of operating increase in regards to increase reimbursement. In fact the particular insurance company I mention prior reduced the reimbursement fee for service less than when I first contracted with them over 10 years prior. Some insurance companies had little to no cost increase to me as a practitioner, yet the individual mark up of policy holder was great as much as 200 percent or higher. Who are the ones after your interests? Just asking, because I don’t see it. A lot of folks I talk to describe insurance as “a necessary evil”. It is something you pay for in hopes you don’t need it but if you do the promise is you’ll be taken care of. I know others who complain about the premiums and want to use as much benefits as they can. Which to me is the wrong approach, but I understand the reasoning, especially for individuals to justify the cost. Still I have had others, most self-employed people I have spoken to, who say they rather take the penalty for no insurance than the cost of monthly premium that are out of reach to them. Others than have told me they will take their chances that they will stay healthy. Or better yet, I asked one self-employed individual what he did for health insurance; he informed me he did not have any. I asked what he would do if something major happen to him. He responded by say very directly without any hesitations or reservations, he would bankrupt. Medical and health costs are a major contributor to bankruptcy, not negligent debtors (although they account for some)! With that said there is something wrong with the system. I don’t subscribe to any particular solution, but simply see the brake down and failure of it. How can the corporate executive make healthcare decisions while overriding the patient’s needs, much less the attending doctor and/ or providers recommendations? When did corporate executive go to medical school or have any other medical training? Just my 2 cents, for whatever its worth. Meanwhile, use your sunscreen and watch where you swim they just might be a shark or two lurking.
Andrew Wolfe,LMP owner of Harmony Licensed Massage therapy and founder of the massage technique “Myo movement integration therapy,” demonstrates his techniques and treatment protocol for injury and rehabilitation of auto, sports, work and personal injuries, with the use of myofascial release therapy, manual traction,
trigger point, joint mobilization, remedial massage therapy and stretching, which incorporates self empowerment tools and skills to allow the patient to become personally empowered.
Andrew Wolfe LMP of Harmony Licensed Massage Therapy speaks live on radio broadcast on spotlight radio on 2/28/14 on the topic of medical massage. He has been in private practice in Arlington Washington since 1987 and has achieved advanced training and certifications and experience in the field of medical massage.
Andrew Wolfe,LMP owner of Harmony Licensed Massage therapy and founder of the massage technique “Myo movement integration therapy,” demonstrates his techniques and treatment protocol for injury and rehabilitation of auto, sports, work and personal injuries, with the use of myofascial release therapy, manual traction,
trigger point, joint mobilization, remedial massage therapy and stretching, which incorporates self empowerment tools and skills to allow the patient to become personally empowered.
When individuals think about the treatment of their spine they think of a number of ways they can treat it. Commonly prescribe thinking under mainstream medicine is to medicate it. While medication can help reduce the pain level and help fight inflammation, it masks the pain by hiding it; thereby not resolving the underlying cause of the pain. Medications allow us to go on with our day to lives in our demanding schedules but do nothing to correct the problem. The problem may be stemming from a number of things. Pain is a broad term and very subjective; as subjective as the person experiencing it. Acute pain (that arriving of a new injury or trauma or onset) is easier to determine the cause. By assessing what the individual did prior to the onset uncovers a lot of the mystery. But sometimes it’s not that simple. Back pain affects some 8 out of 10 people statistically at some point in the lives according to NIH: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. It is the number one reason of disability of persons under the age of 45 as well as the second leading cause of doctors visits in American, second only to the common cold;
By taking an assessment of the history of the patient a better determination can be made. A proper diagnosis makes recovery easier to treat. Simple muscle strains and strain makes up for a lot of discomfort in individuals as well emotional, physical and physiological stress, poor nutrition, poor body mechanics, repetitive use dysfunction, spinal abnormalities, scar tissue formation from past unresolved traumas and or surgery and other abnormalities including underlying diseases can exhibit symptoms of back pain. So as simple as the diagnosis is of having back pain, it may have other dimensions that create a complexity of findings. Most health care providers as well as insurance companies policies require, which is a practical approach, is to start with the most cost effective and least evasive (non intrusive to the body) care in managing pain of a patient. Massage therapy happens to be one of the conservative, more natural approaches of healing for back and spine pain. By addressing the connective tissues in relaxing the tissue, giving it normal length and range of motion, eliminating scar tissue and inflammation and increasing circulation you allow healing to take place naturally. The attachments of soft tissue correspond to underlying structures (bone and cartilage) of the body giving it the ability to be flexible. By lengthening the tissues and addressing these attachments (connections to the structure or skeletal system) you are able to affect the body and it s structures naturally by changing the formation of dysfunction. Muscles and the soft tissues sounding and making up the muscular system are malleable and conduct behavior by patterning itself to conditioned response from the nervous system. Trauma, disease, stress, lifestyle, surgery and other dysfunctions as noted prior can disturb, change and affect adversely this response creating a repatterning that when becoming chronic (long-standing) can assume as “normal” conditioning or patterning. By changing the repatterning of dysfunction through soft tissue manipulation the body find restoration and balance.
When it comes to the rehabilitation of accidents and injuries most medical providers think within the convention of physical therapy and pharmacology. When injuries occur nerve fibers in the muscle tissue tear, strain, overstretch and literally shorten. This shortening of the tissue impairs normal movement . Scar tissue forms as a natural agent of healing. Often times the scar tissue can adhere to surrounding tissue and joints creating a memory of lost function as well as structural impairment. Cross fiber friction and myofascial release therapy, a form of deep tissue massage, reduces the scar tissue from forming as well as breaks it up when it does form. Nerve fibers in the bundles of muscle and other soft tissue such as ligaments, connective tissue, tendons and softer cartilage, can be damaged and impaired creating a muscle memory of dysfunction. Remedial massage therapy redirects the muscle memory by reconnecting the nerve -muscle connection. Heighten sensitivity and pain impairs mobility and natural healing and inflammation occurs. The function of inflammation is to “buffer” or protect the damaged area, but often times can delay in the healing. The most natural and effective support to healing is massage therapy, it is safe and has minimal to no negative side effects. Massage therapy works directly the site of the problems in a “hands on” approach. This approach makes common sense when you think about what is effected; the soft tissue. Change needs to come by working out the dysfunction. By working directly on the soft tissue you effect change. Thinking outside the conventions of the medical industry are alternative health care options. Even within the mainstream of modern medicine massage therapy is being recognized as a medical modality; see reference http://my.brainshark.com/Medical-Massage-and-Insurance-Coverage-by-Andrew-Wolfe-LMP-551505931
For more information about this and other topics visit Andrew Wolfe, LMP
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