Hands Heal: Communication, Documentation, and Insurance Billing for Manual Therapists

SYNOPSIS

Thompson, a licensed massage practitioners in Seattle, does not mention the date of the first edition, but reveals that she wrote it when massage therapy was just beginning to be recognized by society and the legal system, if not the medical establishment. In the intervening period, she notes, the primary business and legal concerns of practitioners has shifted from protecting and promoting the profession to meeting the criteria required by other health care practitioners. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

FROM THE CRITICS

Doody Review Services

Reviewer: Kenneth B Siegfried, BA (Pace University)Description: This book covers the area of documentation and medical billing for manual therapists. The first edition was published in 1990.Purpose: According to the author, the purpose is to assist manual therapists with proper billing and documentation techniques. These techniques incorporate generally accepted medical terminology, abbreviations, and proper charting. As manual therapists are used more and a greater number of insurance companies begin to cover their treatment options, there will be a need for such a book. The author does a thorough job covering all the areas she addresses.Audience: The target audience for this book is any practitioner involved in manual therapy who is interested in insurance billing, proper documentation, and communication. Any manual therapist interested in a professional practice would derive benefit from this book. The author is a licensed massage practitioner who has much experience dealing with insurance companies and medical documentation. In addition, reviewers include a legal expert, several massage therapists, and a physical therapist.Features: The book covers all areas of documentation, billing, and communication for any manual therapist interested in building a professional practice. Included are pages of documentation sheets, charts, sample letters for communication, and a section on insurance billing that helps to clarify what many therapists find a very confusing area. This book discusses some difficult areas not often covered in the classroom and breaks them down in a step-by-step, well-organized fashion. Clear examplesand some good case studies are included. Additionally, there are many blank forms and important contact information in the appendixes. Many manual therapists often shy away from dealing with insurance companies and third-party billings. Most often this is due to a lack of understanding of how the whole system is run and a fear of not being compensated for their services. The author lays this information out in a well-organized manner that makes it comprehendible. Any therapist interested in conducting a professional business would benefit from this book.Assessment: This second edition includes communication and insurance billing with documentation. With more insurance companies covering adjunct therapy, there is a need for a clear book to explain what is involved for the manual therapist. This is such a book.

RATING

4 Stars! from Doody

ACCREDITATION