Proposed HB 442

We are excited that you want to get involved in this important legislative action!

Please find below a suggested letter you can send to your Ohio Representative.

For more information contact Lisa Keys.

The Honorable _________
The Ohio Senate
Columbus, Ohio 43215

My name is Jane Doe and I am a member of the American Massage Therapy Association, Ohio Chapter (AMTA). I am writing to express some concerns AMTA has about HB 442 a bill that pertains to “complementary and alternative health services.”  Before sharing some of our concerns, I thought it might be appropriate to start by introducing our profession to you.
Massage therapy is a limited branch of medicine and is regulated by the State Medical Board of Ohio.  In fact, we are proud that Ohio was the first state to license massage therapists.  For over 90 years, our clients have benefited from the highest level of professionalism as our education and licensing requirements are among the top tier in the country.  Massage therapy is a medical service used to help treat patients with chronic pain, repetitive strain injuries, whiplash, fibromyalgia, stress as an illness, and for preventative health care.  
While the proponents of alternative health care may have laudable goals and while this version of the alternative health care bill shows improvements over past versions, we still have several concerns with HB 442.   Specifically, we have grave concerns that under HB 442, providers are granted specific authority to perform certain types of massage but there are no corresponding education or enforcement requirements.  In short, the bill undermines the very license we have worked so hard to obtain and puts the Medical Board of Ohio in a precarious position of enforcing our code while “alternative health care providers” are free to do as they wish.  

During recent hearings in the House Commerce and Labor Committee, our organization testified in opposition to the bill. As a massage therapist I am opposed to unlicensed and uneducated “practitioners” performing practices that include massage. Although the bill states that massage will be performed in compliance with the state medical board it clearly provides room for unlicensed persons to violate these standards as well as opening the door to human trafficking problems.

My practice is based on medical massage. I have spent time educating my clients and speaking at area group events about the role massage plays in health care. It is important that as public awareness of the health benefits of massage therapy is growing in a professional direction that is not altered or setback by nonprofessionals promoting their uneducated version of massage therapy.

In sum, for reasons stated above, AMTA, Ohio urges your opposition to HB 442. 

If you have any questions about the issues discussed above, I would be happy to meet with you in the district at a time of your choosing.  In the meantime, know that I appreciate your interest.

Sincerely,

Jane Doe, LMT
123 Main Ave
Columbus, OH 43215
614-455-5555
“www.janedoemassage.com