Keywords: Billing insurance for yoga classes (October 2003)
ORIGINAL QUESTION:
Does anyone have any knowledge or experience in billing medical insurance for yoga classes? I am working with a physician who wants me to teach yoga to his patients with chronic pain or anxiety/depression. We are trying to figure out if there is a way to use the patients' insurance to pay for such a class. We know that some insurance company's will pay for stress management classes if medically indicated. Another clinic manager has told us that we would have to call the class stress management or something like that rather than a yoga class to get insurance to cover it. Most of the patients we are wanting to serve are low income and have MediCal or Medicare.
Although I have not participated before, I have enjoyed reading previous AYSutra discussions. All of them have been helpful and informative.
I'd be grateful for any ideas anyone has on this subject.
Many thanks,
Maitri Jones
ANSWERS:
Dear Maitri:
I am Susan Hayes, graduate of AYTT in Aug. 1999. I don't think most private health insurance companies will pay for yoga classes, even with a doctor's prescription. However, it never hurts to ask. So, for example, I am a Blue Cross of California "preferred provider" of yoga; however, that does not mean that Blue Cross pays for its subscribers who take my yoga classes. It just means that Blue Cross will list me on its web site and in its directory of providers, in exchange for my charging a negotiated lower class price to Blue Cross subscribers.
I have heard that, in the state of California, private yoga classes for on-the-job back injuries have been covered by State Workers Compensation Fund – with a doctor's prescription. I would recommend that your students call Medical/Medicare, in advance, to find out if their doctor's prescription for yoga classes for chronic pain and/or stress management would be a covered expense (or call them stress management classes, to see if the answer changes) – and if so, for up to how much per class.
Good luck!
From Tara Brown:
Hi Maitri Jones-
Frankly, I am 98% sure that this is not possible.
I have worked for 30 years as a medical group manager – retiring last February as Assistant Director of Santa Barbara County's Public Health Department (clients are almost all Medi-Cal or Medicare). My entire career was built on maximizing our revenue sources. We could not even bill for public health nurse home visits (except for newborn exams). There are no CPT codes that apply to yoga classes to my knowledge.
Heaven knows yoga is a health benefit – but one that modern medicine has not yet realized!
Best regards,
Tara Brown
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