Can You Claim Massage on Health Insurance in the UK?

Sometimes, but probably not through the policy you are thinking of. Standard private medical insurance rarely pays for massage on its own. A health cash plan, often offered through work, is far more likely to give you money back.

Even then, there are rules. The plan has to list massage as a benefit, and your therapist usually has to belong to a professional body the insurer recognises. Check both before you book, not after.

TL;DR: look in your plan's table of benefits for "sports massage", "massage therapy" or "complementary therapies". Then check which registers the insurer accepts and ask your therapist if they are on one. Keep a receipt with the therapist's name, the date and the treatment.

Private medical insurance vs a health cash plan

These are two different products, and people often mix them up.

Private medical insurance

This is the kind of cover from Bupa, AXA, Aviva or Vitality that pays for private diagnosis and treatment. It is built for new, short-term medical problems, not ongoing wellbeing.

Therapies such as physiotherapy, osteopathy and chiropractic usually come under the outpatient part of the policy. Many policies need a GP or specialist referral first, and entry-level policies may have no outpatient cover at all. Massage as a standalone treatment is usually not covered.

The exception is when massage forms part of a treatment the policy does cover. A physio may use hands-on soft tissue work in a session, and that is paid as physiotherapy.

Health cash plan

A cash plan pays you back for everyday health costs, up to a yearly limit for each type. Think dental check-ups, glasses, physio and, on some plans, massage. Common providers include Simplyhealth, Westfield Health, Health Shield, Medicash and Sovereign Health Care.

Plans vary a lot, even from the same provider. One level might cover sports massage, while the one below covers only physio and osteopathy. Your plan's table of benefits is the final word.

What a typical cash plan covers for massage

Where massage is included, it tends to sit under a heading such as "therapies", "complementary therapies" or "wellbeing and alternative therapies". Types often named are:

• sports massage
• remedial massage
• manual lymphatic drainage
• Indian head massage, reflexology and chair massage on some plans

Plain relaxation or spa massage is less often included. Neither is a treatment given in a gym, hotel or salon by someone who is not on a recognised register.

Plans usually pay either a set amount per session or a percentage of the cost, up to a yearly limit. Yearly limits for therapies are often in the low hundreds of pounds. At £45 to £70 for an hour, that might cover anything from two sessions to most of a year's regular treatment.

The rule that catches people out: recognised therapists

Massage therapy is not regulated by law in the UK, so insurers set their own rules. Most will only pay if your therapist is registered with, or a member of, a body they recognise. That membership also has to match the treatment you had.

The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) keeps a public list of cash plans that accept its registrants. Other plans name their own list of professional bodies, and some accept CNHC registration on a few corporate plans only.

People have had claims turned down because the therapist was not on the list, or because the therapist's membership lapsed. A Financial Ombudsman decision involving a cash plan backed the insurer, because the plan's own list of benefits was clear. So:

• ask your therapist which register or professional body they belong to
• check that name against your plan's list of recognised bodies
• ask again each year if you see the same therapist for a long time
• remember the therapist cannot be you, your partner or a family member

Our guide on how to check a massage therapist is qualified shows how to search the main registers.

How to make a claim

Most cash plans let you claim through an app or online portal in a few minutes. The process is usually the same:

• pay the therapist yourself, as normal
• ask for a receipt showing their name, business address, registration or membership number, the date, the treatment and the amount paid
• upload a photo of the receipt within the plan's time limit, often 12 weeks or six months
• wait for the money to reach your bank, usually within a week or two

Some plans have a waiting period when you first join, often three months before therapy claims are allowed. Read the joining pack if you have just signed up.

Many therapists are used to this and can give you a suitable receipt on the spot. If you are booking through our directory, it is fine to ask about it when you get in touch.

A worked example: what a year of claims might look like

Say you book a 60-minute sports massage every month at £55. That is £660 over a year.

Now say your cash plan pays 100% of each session up to a therapies limit of £250 a year. You would get back the full cost of your first four sessions, then nothing until the plan year resets. Your real cost drops from £660 to £410.

On a plan that pays 75% of each session up to the same £250, you would claim about £41 a time. The limit runs out on the seventh session instead of the fifth. You end up in the same place, just more slowly.

Two things change the sums quickly:

• Shared limits. On many plans, physio, osteopathy and massage all draw on one therapies pot. A few physio sessions after an injury can use up the money you planned for massage.
• Plan year dates. Limits reset on your plan's start date, not in January. Spacing sessions around that date can stretch the cover further.

The figures here are only an example. Your own plan guide sets the real limits and percentages.

Other ways to bring the cost down

If your plan will not pay, you still have options.

• Check your employer's other perks. Some workplaces offer on-site chair massage, wellbeing allowances or discounts with local clinics.
• Book a block of sessions. Many therapists offer a lower rate if you pay for five or six up front.
• Try a student clinic. Colleges and universities often offer supervised sessions at reduced prices.
• Choose a shorter session. Thirty minutes on one area costs less and may be all you need. Our guide to choosing a 30, 60 or 90 minute massage helps you decide.

For typical prices across the country, see our full guide on how much a massage costs in the UK.

What about the NHS?

The NHS does not usually fund massage as a treatment on its own. If you have an injury or muscle problem, NHS physiotherapy may include some hands-on work as part of your care. Many areas let you refer yourself to physio without seeing a GP first.

If you are not sure whether you need a massage therapist or a physio, our guide to massage vs physiotherapy explains when each one fits.

Once you know what your plan covers, use our directory of massage therapists to find someone near you, and check their profile for the qualifications and memberships your insurer asks for.