The courts have entered another chapter into the continuing saga of the 2012 PIP Act, a Florida law enacted in May of 2012 that prohibits massage therapists, as well as acupuncturists, from billing their services to Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. This same law also seeks to cap chiropractic care at $2,500 and only allows chiropractic services when they are based on a referral from the patient’s primary care physician.
A lawsuit was filed in November of last year to keep the State from enforcing the act. A hearing on a temporary injunction was scheduled for December but canceled by the judge. That hearing has finally been held, and a temporary injunction has been granted, prohibiting the State from implementing the law for the time being.
For now at least, people who seek massage therapy or acupuncture for relief from a motor vehicle accident should be able to access PIP benefits if they meet all the other requirements of the law. PIP benefits are part of the Florida Motor Vehicle No-Fault Law. Allegedly to prevent fraud, the government has placed many restrictions and procedures on people applying for PIP medical benefits, such as how soon after the accident the services must be provided (14 days) and by whom (licensed physicians or dentists).
The new law limits PIP medical benefits to $10,000 for an emergency medical condition and $2,500 when the individual’s condition does not meet the legal definition of an emergency medical condition. Massage and acupuncture are simply not reimbursable whatsoever, under the new law. If you have been injured in a Florida automobile accident, contact Fetterman and Associates to learn about the PIP benefits and other compensation that might be available to you.
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