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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as well as practitioner representatives from both major integrative care practices and patient advocacy groups. · AMTA participated in a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) ‘listening session’ on the inclusion of complementary and integrative therapies for pain and subsequently sent follow up comments to CMS on the importance of massage therapy for patients with pain. · In late 2020, AMTA submitted comments, on behalf of the massage profession, to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) as part of the agency’s Request for Supplemental Evidence and Data Submissions concerning ‘Treatments for Acute Pain: A Systematic Review.’ 50 · Actively engaged in regular outreach with a bipartisan coalition (Voices for Non Opioid Choices) to support legislation to promote the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation Act (“NOPAIN Act”), which included AMTA-suggested language, and coordinated almost 9,000 grassroots letters of support from massage therapists across the country. Prior to COVID-19 closing the federal government, AMTA also participated in a Hill briefing to help grow support for the bill. · AMTA staff successfully worked and communicated with a variety of states during the COVID-19 pandemic on the role of massage therapy as a legally recognized healthcare profession. The intent of these efforts were to (1) request that government officials cease using defamatory language when referencing massage therapy and massage therapists and (2) to educate states on massage therapy so the industry was properly categorized during re-opening guidance. · AMTA maintained its representation, albeit virtually, as part of the American Medical Association’s (AMA’s) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel and accompanying Health Care Professionals Advisory Committee (HCPAC). AMTA’s representatives provided input into decisions related to CPT code used by massage therapists. This is of direct benefit to massage therapists who seek insurance reimbursement. 51 3C. How are consumers using massage as part of an integrated approach to health care? 1 Consumers maintained their use of massage for medical and health reasons in 2019.

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