Daily Intake Forms
If you have ever used insurance at our clinic for massage therapy you have probably been asked to fill out a “daily intake form”. Having been on the patient side of the desk I know these forms can seem redundant and, for as short as they are, they can even be a little difficult to fill out sometimes! So why do we have these little forms? Let’s answer that, as well as go over how to fill them out!
Why do we have to fill out this form?
There are two main reasons why we have these. The first is to help update your massage therapist. In addition to talking with you before your massage, this form helps to update them on how you are doing with your treatment. The second reason is to help prove medical necessity to your insurance. Sometimes your insurance company will request information from us regarding your care and these forms will help to provide proof of medical necessity, in order to continue care. It may seem like a small form but it can help you case a lot! This form should be filled out every time you come in for a massage when using insurance.
Why the switch from paper to tablets?
At the New Year, you may have noticed, we switched to using tablets. This was to help reduce paper waste. With our clinic seeing over 700 hundred clients per month it was a lot of paper waste! But as always, if you are unable to use the tablets you may still request a paper form.
How do I fill out the Daily Intake?
If you are using the tablets the software will already fill in your name, date of birth, and the current date for you. Which is very helpful! So that leaves you to fill out the “Primary Problem” (and secondary if applicable), “Activities”, and the Numeric Pain Scales.
The “Primary Problem” is what the therapist is treating, i.e. low back pain, neck stiffness, etc.
The activities that you list can be anything that aggravates the pain, such as, sitting, walking, driving, lifting, etc. Then after that activity you list what the pain scale is during that particular activity. For example, I can say that my low back pain comes when I am sitting and it is a 5 out of 10 on the pain scale. If there are more than one activity or more than just the primary problem then make sure to list those as well!
Hopefully this will help to answer some questions on our Daily Intake Form. As always, we are here to answer any other questions you may have!
Amy Pennington
Insurance Specialist
