For massage therapists, Christmas usually comes pretty early…. about 4 months early. After business slows to a crawl in the summer, September usually brings a pretty sharp spike in business. It seems that every year as soon as the weather starts to cool a bit there is a flood of new clients looking for a massage. It’s different from the “slip and fall season” of the winter, the ” gardening back pain season” of the spring, or the “weekend warrior season” of the summer. This busy season is different in that it has nothing to do with physical activity or accidents and everything to do with insurance.

Most people with full time jobs have extended health care benefits as part of their salary. The average person has a pool of about $500 that can be used to pay for massage therapy. These benefits can be used and drawn upon until the end of the year, at which time they expire and the balance is magically reset to $500. This means that if you don’t use your benefits in the current period, you basically lose it… all $500 of it. This is otherwise known as the “use it or lose it” system, and September is the time of year when the heavens open up, light bulbs go off and people suddenly realise that they only have 4 months left to get approximately 6 massages otherwise it’s money out the window. This is not exactly the most worrisome predicament in the world and I am sure you will somehow find a way to work through it. Remember to first check with your insurance provider to find out the details of your policy. Specifically you need to know how much is covered in total, how much is covered per visit, and what paperwork (usually a doctor’s note) is required in order to qualify for benefits.

The beauty of the September insurance rush is the opportunities it brings to change your life. Simply dedicating some time regularly to caring about your health can open many doors to you. During their first massage, people often become aware of what is happening to their bodies as a result of the habits of their lifestyle. From this first glance, many become regular massage addicts, yoga students and gym members. This is the perfect season to start down that path of developing healthy habits that could help you live a longer, healthier, happier life.

If you remember, a few weeks ago, I was on Global TV News for a story they were doing on cleanse diets. Renew Life, the company that produced the detox cleanse was so happy with the coverage that they promised me oodles of free stuff. My swag package finally came in the mail this week and it contained:

• Fibre Smart
• Oil Smart
• Cleanse Smart
• a book: “The Detox Strategy: Vibrant Health in 5 Easy Steps” by Brenda Watson, CNC

I would like to thank Caroline Farquhar of Renew Life for the freebies.  I really do appreciate it and will put the products to good use and hopefully write about them on my blog.  I get the feeling though that somebody else out there would appreciate the book more than me.

So, if any of you out there would like the book feel free to enter my inaugural first ever on line contest.  There is no charge or cost.  Entry is free.  Simply leave a comment on this page explaining why you would like it.  The best entry gets the book for free (I will pay for shipping within Canada & the States).  I will post the winning entry on my blog.  The deadline is December 31, 2009 at midnight.  So here is your chance.  If you have ever considered doing a detox cleanse diet or would like more info, this is a perfect opportunity.  Or if you just enjoy getting free stuff, this contest is perfect for you.  I can’t imagine there will be a deluge of entries, so the odds are stacked in your favour.  Just give it a try.

Yes Virginia, you can get a free massage.

Most of my clients actually don’t pay a cent for massage.  They have extended health benefits through work which pays for their massages.  Everybody with extended health benefits actually pays a little bit every month to cover the cost of the insurance policy with their employer paying the balance, so it’s not exactly free.  But it’s pretty close to it.  These benefits don’t cover just massage but typically also include dental, medicine and other expenses.

The process is pretty simple.

1. Most plans require a doctor’s note or prescription for massage.  Most doctors understand that 80% of illnesses are stress related and will sign off without hesitation.
2. Come in to see me for a massage and enjoy some stress pain and tension relief.
3. After you pay I will give you an invoice with my registration number and details which you can mail in with your doctor’s note to your insurance provider.
4. In about a week or two you will receive your reimbursement for the cost of the massage.

Total cost to you is $0.

The benefits of getting rid of the stress and pain…… priceless.

Some details:

• Most of my clients are entitled to $500 per year.  That works out to about 6 massages per year.
• Plans usually run from January to December.  The benefits don’t roll over to the next year.   A new claim starts the following year.  So it’s a bit of a “use it or lose it” situation.  This is why one of my busiest times is from September to December.  Everyone ends up wanting to use up all of their benefits at the end of the year.  But why wait and rush?  Your best benefit will be from regular massages throughout the year.
• Most plans cover 100% of the cost of each treatment, but some have a cap or a percentage per treatment.  You should call your insurance provider to find out the details of your plan.
• The average plan is $500 for all expenses, but some are less, some are more, and some will give dedicated amounts.  For example Some plans will cover $500 for massage, another $500 for acupuncture, $500 for chiropractic, etc etc etc. Again, call your provider and get the details

So, what are you waiting for?