Remember this information about reimbursement for manual therapy

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan reimburses manual therapy (*97140) as a part of an overall physical therapy or medicine treatment plan.

Manual therapy is one of the main modalities of physical therapy. This type of treatment is performed by a physical therapy or medicine provider using hands-on techniques to help strengthen and stretch different aspects of the body to reduce pain and inflammation, eliminate swelling and increase range of motion.

CPT code *97140 is a constant timed procedure that requires direct one-on-one contact with the provider. It is billed in 15-minute increments and can’t be provided in the same visit as a therapeutic massage.

Keep the following in mind:

• All Blue Cross requirements related to the identification and qualifications of approved providers of physical therapy apply to the providers of massage therapy.
• Blue Cross rules regarding orders and documentation of rehabilitation services apply to the provision of manual therapy.
• All Blue Cross rules and requirements related to “incident to” billing for physical therapy and medicine apply.
• Manual therapy isn't a covered service when applied to the same area of the body as that of chiropractic manipulative therapy. They are considered duplicate services.

Medically necessary manual therapy may be delivered by participating providers when such a modality is within their scope of practice. Chiropractors may perform this service when performed as a part of a complete physical medical plan; they may not supervise other provider types in performance of manual therapy.

Blue Cross doesn’t reimburse for physical therapy or medicine services provided by massage therapists, therapy aides, exercise physiologists or kinesiotherapists, even under the supervision of an eligible provider type.

As always, be sure to verify the contract benefits of a member before performing therapeutic massage.