We May Not Bill Insurance … But (!)

At GLM, we don’t bill health insurance. That doesn’t mean your massage treatments are a cash-or-nothing proposition, though.

We accept L&I and PIP claims. Also, several health insurance packages that include flex spending accounts or health savings accounts allow you to use those benefits on our services.

Alphabet Soup
What’s L&I and PIP and how will help you pay for your massage?

L&I stands for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industry. L&I will pay for massage therapy in cases where you may have suffered an injury at work, or are physically suffering as a result of things do you at work. The process starts when you submit a claim for worker’s compensation. You can submit a claim either through their website or over the phone.

PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection, which may be a part of your auto insurance policy. This insurance covers all or part of your medical care expenses after a covered accident.

If you find massage difficult to afford, cash is not your only option at GLM.

In both of these cases, we need a few pieces of information before you can get your massage and submit your claim:

• a referral from a doctor
• billing codes for your diagnosis
• the name and contact information of your insurance agent (PIP), or case manager (L&I)

Be advised that if, after we submit the claim, L&I or your insurance company refuse to pay for the services rendered, you will be personally responsible for full payment.

Health Savings Accounts and Flex Spending Accounts
Your health insurance plan may include flex spending accounts or health savings accounts.

Health savings accounts allow you to spend part of what you pay each month on healthcare expeses. The approved expenses can cover almost anything related to health from bandages to regular massage treatments.

Usually these HSA plans give you a debit card for use on approved expenses. To charge your massage to that account, we would need that debit card or at least complete insurance information.

Flex spending accounts work in a similar way, allowing you to use a fixed amount of money on health care expenses not traditionally covered by health insurance.

If you think your health plan may allow you to pay for massage with flex spending or an HSA, see the details of your plan to find out more about how to take advantage of those.

If you still have a hard time justifying the cost of regular massage and don’t have any of these options available to you, don’t despair. At GLM we have some great options to help bring down the cost of massage and minimize the impact on your finances. Check out our previous blog post about how prepaid packages can save you real money in the long term while giving you the regular massage treatments you need.

Tom Gunn the director of marketing and the blog editor at The Good Life Massage. Follow him on Twitter @tomgunnpoet.

How A Little Salt Can Help You Sleep

Get the low-down on one of our most popular products. Peaceful Nights Bath Salts combine a rich blend of essential oils formulated to soothe your nerves and help you sleep.

Now through 10/31/2015, our handmade bath salts are $1 off! Stop in to get yours today.

Special thanks to former intern Byron Benson for writing the script for this video.

Tom Gunn is the Director of Marketing and blog editor for the The Good Life Massage. You can follow him on Twitter @tomgunnpoet.

A Lesson in Give and Take – Couples Massage at Home

Our Couples Massage packages can be a great way to reconnect with friends or your significant other. But in our couples sessions, we’re doing all the work. That can be nice, but massage can also be a giving experience you can share at home. While our therapists are licensed by the state, there’s no need for a license to do massage in your own home as a gift to the person you love.

In fact, non-sexual touch can deepen the bond between two people significantly, even if they’re just good friends. Getting a massage from someone you love can be even more satisfying than a professional massage, in spite of the difference in expertise.

It does take some skill, however.

That’s why we’re offering to share some of our massage knowledge with you.

Bring your significant other or a friend, and join us for a night of learning and fun as we teach you techniques for couples massage at home.

Where: The Good Life Massage couples room. We’ll be opening up our couples room to accommodate three couples or pairs. We provide the tables, linens, and lotion; you bring yourself and a partner to learn with you and practice on. Registered students will also go home with a gift set of our handmade skincare products.

When: Wednesday, November 18, 6 PM

Cost: Each couple will be charged $60, or $30 a person. A partner is required for registration.

How to register: Visit our website and book the class as though you were booking a massage session. You’ll see it in the drop-down menu as an available option for that day. You can also give us a call at 425-243-7705.

This class is limited to only three couples, so don’t delay registering!

We look forward to seeing you there.

Tom Gunn is the Marketing Director and blog editor at The Good Life Massage. You can follow him on Twitter @tomgunnpoet.

“Do I Have to Get Naked?”

Once thought of as a luxury service for the rich, massage is becoming a normal part of health maintenance and self care for about 29% of Americans and growing. As massage is introduced to more and more people, anxieties tend to come to the surface about coming in for the first time. Understandably, many people are reserved about being naked with someone they don’t know–someone who isn’t a doctor or nurse.

For those new clients who are anxious about this aspect of massage, there’s really nothing to be worried about.

Okay, but really–do I have to get naked?
No! When you come in for a massage, you’re invited to undress to your comfort level. That means that when you get under the sheets, you can do so fully-clothed. If that’s what you’re comfortable with, there’s no reason you can’t get a massage that way. You can also just take off your shirt, or just strip down to your underwear. It’s up to you. However much you choose to undress, you’ll do so in total privacy and get under the sheets on the massage table.

The point is that you’re as relaxed and comfortable as possible. If you’re not able to relax, a massage won’t do you much good anyway.

That being said, getting a massage fully clothed has a number of disadvantages. Clothing limits the methods your massage therapist will be able to use to soothe your muscles and perform the kind of deep treatments you may need. Fully disrobing allows the therapist to do the best possible job because they are free to use every available technique to treat you. Keep in mind that if you keep your clothing on, your therapist is not legally permitted to move their hands underneath it to reach the skin directly.

Also, the oils and lotions your therapist will use tend to stain clothing and underwear.

Isn’t there something wrong with this?
Not at all. At no time will you ever be fully exposed to your massage therapist. When you undress, your tberapist will leave the room to give you privacy while you get under the sheets and settle yourself on the table. The therapist will call through door to ask if you’re ready and covered before entering.

All our rooms are comfortably furnished and completely private. Our tables are equipped with electrical warming pads to maximize your comfort. The heat created by these pads can be adjusted with the touch of a button or turned off altogether.

Throughout the treatment, we only undrape the areas we are working on, and those never include genitalia or women’s breasts.

This isn’t just a courtesy to our clients: it’s state law. As licensed therapists, we meet and exceed legal standards of draping and train all our therapists to carefully protect our clients’ privacy and comfort.

But won’t you be laughing at me behind my back?
Of course not. As massage therapists, we’ve seen bodies of all shapes and sizes. When we see you, we don’t see imperfections or flaws: we see a whole person worthy of love and caring. Our goal is to provide care from the heart with every person on our tables.

Further, we treat your health information and identity with the same discretion as your doctor or any medical professional. The health, safety, and privacy of our clients is no laughing matter.

Isn’t there something kinda–y’know–sexual about massage?
Unfortunately, for many people, massage has come to be synonymous with prostitution.

This isn’t the case.

The Good Life Massage is one of many legal massage clinics in the country which provide a therapeutic, non-sexual service. As licensed therapists in Washington state, we do not provide a sexual service to any of our clients at any time. In fact, we instantly stop any massage, report to authorities, and permanently ban any client who asks for sexual favors or makes sexual advances of any kind. By the same token, any therapist found to be doing the same would be instantly fired and reported to the authorities.

In short, The Good Life Massage is a safe place for all our clients, regardless of your comfort level with the process.

This video gives you a good overall picture of what it’s like to get a massage at GLM.

So don’t be shy. Book your session today!