Workers' Compensation Massage Therapy in Seattle

Hurt at work? Your L&I claim covers this.

Our therapists are Washington L&I providers. If you have an open claim, we bill it directly and you pay nothing at the visit — no paying up front, no chasing a reimbursement afterwards.

• We bill your claim directly. Bring your claim number and you are done with the billing side of it.
• A referral is often required. For L&I claims a physician referral is usually needed before treatment. If you are not sure yours is in place, call first.
• Coverage depends on your treatment plan. Washington workers' compensation covers massage when it is part of that plan, and requirements vary by claim.

How L&I massage works, step by step

1. File the claim. If you were hurt at work and have not filed yet, that comes first — L&I's guide for workers covers it. Everything below needs an open claim number.
2. Your attending provider prescribes massage. L&I pays only for treatment that is medically necessary and prescribed by your claim's attending provider — the doctor or chiropractor managing your claim. If massage is not in your treatment plan yet, ask them about it, or call us and we will help you work out where your claim stands. A claim can be denied on the referral point alone even when the benefit exists, which is worth ten minutes on the phone.
3. Book. The first six visits need no authorization. Under L&I's own rules, the first six massage visits on a claim require no prior authorization. Referral in hand, you can start right away.
4. Past six visits, we handle the paperwork. Visits seven through twelve need an authorization request, which we fax to L&I's provider hotline on their form. Past twelve, approval goes through your claim manager. None of this lands on you.
5. Billing and reporting run behind the scenes. (Attorney or case manager on the claim? Our attorneys & case managers page has the billing codes and records detail.) Massage bills to L&I in 15-minute units under a single code, and we send progress reports to your attending provider on L&I's schedule so your claim file shows the treatment working.

What we treat under a work injury claim

Work-related soft tissue injuries are most of it: back and neck strain from lifting, shoulder and rotator cuff problems, repetitive strain that builds up from a desk or a tool over months, and the injuries that come from a slip or a fall on a shift. If the injury is still being investigated, or you are working modified duty while it settles, that is a normal place to start from rather than a reason to wait.

This is medical massage planned around what the work injury is actually doing to you and documented for your claim. It may use deep tissue, myofascial release, or neuromuscular therapy; the technique follows the treatment goal rather than defining it.

What to bring to your first appointment

1. Your claim number. This is what we bill against.
2. Your referral, if you have one. Bring the paperwork rather than the gist of it.
3. Photo ID. We use it to confirm your appointment details.
4. Anything your doctor gave you. Notes describing the injury or the treatment plan help us work to it.