#blue cross

Massage isn’t always just relaxation. In medical settings, it’s often used for pain relief, injury recovery, and stress-related muscle issues.

So… will BCBS cover it? Sometimes. And it depends on why you’re getting it.

Massage may be covered if:

A doctor prescribes it

It’s part of a physical therapy or rehab plan

A licensed provider delivers it in a medical setting

There’s a documented diagnosis

Usually not covered:

Spa or relaxation massages

Services without a referral or diagnosis

I have now discovered and even more stupid set of limits:

limit for orthotic / orthopaedic devices for one leg: $350 per year

limit for orthotic / orthopaedic devices for both legs: $350 per year

Why should someone with only one fucked leg get twice as much coverage as me?! And no, I can't just use the one leg coverage twice after getting a pair. Using one negates the other.

Not to mention that the cost of these devices of the type I require usually costs $500 to $1000 and I am on the less specialised end of the spectrum (oh yeah and orthopaedic shoes have the same limit because that makes sense...)

"The frustrations of South Florida residents illustrate these broader trends. CBS Miami spoke with several individuals who expressed outrage over denied claims, including Wesley William Parker. A talented high school wrestler, Parker ranked seventh in the state last year. However, his sophomore year took a turn for the worse when he suffered a nose injury that required surgery. Despite the medical necessity, Parker says that UnitedHealthcare refused to cover the full cost of the procedure. “Most of them had to be paid out of pocket. And it was thousands and thousands of dollars. I had to say no to the surgery … so now I just kinda have to live with it,” he told CBS Miami."

After sharp criticism from anesthesiologists, an insurance company is halting its plan to limit the amount time it would cover anesthesia used in surgeries and procedures. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield said on Thursday it would no longer move forward with the policy change.

“There has been significant widespread misinformation about an update to our anesthesia policy. As a result, we have decided to not proceed with this policy change,” the company said in a statement. “To be clear, it never was and never will be the policy of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to not pay for medically necessary anesthesia services. The proposed update to the policy was only designed to clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.”