Does Medicare Cover Massage Therapy?

Even though there are many potential benefits to receiving massage therapy, Original Medicare will not cover it. Massage therapy is considered a complementary treatment and not medically necessary or critical to your health and wellbeing.

If you want massage therapy as part of treatment for a medical condition or general health improvement, you will be responsible for the entire cost.

Medicare supplemental insurance will also not help pay for massage therapy. Medigap can handle some of the costs for treatments and items that are already covered by Original Medicare.

You may be able to get coverage for massage therapy with a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans, which private insurance companies provide, include everything covered in Original Medicare as well as additional benefits.

If you were interested in massage therapy as a form of pain management, there are other types of treatments offered by Medicare under some circumstances. This includes medication management, occupational and group therapy.

Medicare Part D, an optional benefit that covers prescription drugs, could also help with pain management by providing more access to medications.

Medicare will also cover physical therapy if it is medically necessary and used to treat an injury or illness, like recovery from an accident or medical emergency.

Part A will cover inpatient physical therapy at a rehabilitation facility, while Part B will cover at-home or outpatient physical therapy. Massage could be part of physical therapy treatment.

Chiropractic care is covered by Medicare if there is a bone in your spine that is out of position. Acupuncture treatments for chronic lower back pain are covered, yet cap at 12 appointments in a 90-day span. You will typically pay 20 percent of the cost for most of these services.

Massage therapy includes various massages and treatments that can manipulate your soft tissue for purposes that range from relaxation to treating illness.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, massages were among the earliest known methods to relieve pain in human history.

According to the University of Minnesota, the national average cost for an hour-long massage is $60.