In the health insurance world of medical reimbursement and approved “medically necessary” treatment programs, one of the best courses a massage therapist or massage therapy student will take to better prepare them for maximizing their potential income is any course that offers massage therapy charting. Educational institutions offering massage therapy will offer this massage therapist course and will discuss SOAP (Subjective Objective Assessment Plan) note charting. Students will be required to practice this form of charting during their clinical hours toward the end of the program.
Purpose
Most insurance companies that have some sort of massage therapy coverage are very interested in functional outcomes. Is a client responding favorably to treatment? Is their health condition improving due to the massage services they are receiving? Is a client feeling “better”? It is difficult to precisely define the term “better” as improvement of ones health varies from person to person, however, it is necessary to be a knowledgeable and competent therapist who accurately documents a client’s reception towards massage for the insurance company to either continue or discontinue “medically necessary” coverage. SOAP notes are legal documents as well, and therefore, it is in the best interest of the therapist to take accurate and legible notes for possible future malpractice reasons. During a massage therapy education, students will learn the basics of SOAP charting and there are continuing education courses available to keep therapists current on proper medical charting.
References Cited in this Article
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