The Vermont Chapter of the American Massage Therapy Association is urging lawmakers to pass H,623, legislation that would establish licensure for massage therapists and massage therapy establishments in Vermont.
 Currently massage therapy is only regulated through registration, H.623 would create meaningful public protection by requiring licensure, bringing Vermont in line with national standards.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Licensure is essential for public and practitioner safety and professional accountability. Forty-five states license massage therapists, and many also license establishments. Vermont remains the only state that relies solely on registration, a minimal form of regulation that allows practice without standardized education, training, or background checks.
 Massage therapy is widely recognized as an effective non-pharmacologic option for pain management, including within the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, which requires licensure for provider participation. Without licensure, Vermont veterans are excluded from expanded access to care.&nbsp;
H.623 offers statewide standards that protect consumers andpractitioners and expand access to quality care across Vermont.&nbsp;
Please urge your representatives to support and pass H.623 this legislative session!

Support Licensing Massage Therapists in Vermont!

As a Massage Therapist in your district, I urge you to support H. 623, which would license Massage Therapists and Massage Therapy Establishments. Vermont is currently one of only five other states that does not require a license to practice, and the only state that requires a registration in lieu of licensure. Registration does not require proof of education, passage of an exam, a background check, or any other vetting process. 

H. 623 would result in a uniform scope of practice, place Vermont on par with neighboring states and allow Vermont Massage Therapists to be recognized in other states.

Licensure provides assurance to the public by setting minimal qualifications and competencies for safe entry-level practitioners. Additionally, background checks would provide another level of protection for the public by setting massage therapists apart from those who seek to corrupt the good name of massage. 

In addition to public protection, massage therapy has a growing presence within the US healthcare system. Massage therapy has been singled-out as an effective non-pharmacologic approach to pain management, as shown by a significant body of clinical research, and supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American College of Physicians, The American Academy of Family Medicine and The Joint Commission. The Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Duke Integrative Medicine, the Cleveland Clinic and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, among other institutions, have integrated massage therapy into patient care for multiple conditions. These agencies and organizations require or recommend that massage therapists be state licensed.

Massage therapy is also now being utilized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to treat the spectrum of pain in veterans (establishing GS-5 through GS-9 positions for state licensed massage therapists), covered as an optional supplemental benefit for state licensed massage therapists through multiple Medicare Advantage plans and has been a focal point of testimony on the efficacy of massage therapy before the United States Senate. Under the current system, Vermont residents are deprived of choice as Medicare Advantage plans can only reimburse for massage therapy provided by a state licensed massage therapist. 

Licensing of massage therapists is necessary to ensure public protection. Please join us in setting standards, implementing enhanced protections and supporting the licensure of massage therapy in Vermont.

Thank you for your consideration and service to our state!