Thinking about billing insurance but not sure where to start?
A clear, clinical quick-start to billing insurance for massage therapy in 2026 — credentialing, codes, documentation, and getting paid.
- The six insurance sectors that actually pay LMTs
- CPT & ICD-10 codes, plus SOAP notes that get approved
- The prescription rule that keeps you compliant
Instant download · No cost · PDF
Ten sections, one clear path to getting paid
Built for licensed massage therapists who want to bill insurance the right way — and keep the claims flowing.
Get credentialed
NPI, CAQH, and scope of practice — the non-negotiable first steps before you bill a single claim.
Find the payers
VA Community Care, Workers’ Comp, auto injury, commercial, ERISA, and Medicare Advantage — six sectors, six sets of rules.
Master the codes
CPT and ICD-10 explained plainly, with the 8-Minute Rule and the pairings that avoid audit triggers.
Document to get paid
Functional SOAP notes, the CMS-1500 form box by box, and the compliance rules that protect your practice.
Download the Guide
Thanks in advance!
Julie Onofrio, LMT
Why I wrote this
I graduated from massage school in 1987 with 250 hours of training and no idea what I was doing business-wise. That was the standard back then.
Most of my career, I’ve billed insurance — workers’ comp, auto collisions, health plans. Washington passed a law in 1996 requiring carriers to cover massage, so I was billing health insurance before most of the profession thought it was even an option. There was no guide. I figured it out by getting things wrong, over and over, until I got them right.
I made this Field Guide free because the biggest barrier isn’t complexity — it’s not knowing where to begin. This is where you begin.
If you are not at the table, you are on the menu. Let’s get you to the table.
— Julie Onofrio, LMT
Seattle, WA
In 2005 I wrote the first edition of the Massage Insurance Billing Manual so nobody else would have to learn it the way I did. It’s in its 6th edition now. Take a look at the table of contents!