Canadian Armed Forces massage therapy coverage

Massage therapy is on the Canadian Armed Forces list of excluded medical services, so CAF health services do not pay for it, apart from a narrow exception for still-serving members pensioned by Veterans Affairs Canada who were assessed and found eligible in 2013. Acupuncture is different: it can be covered when your attending CAF physician prescribes it for pain management or alongside treatment for substance dependence, for up to 10 appointments. Anything outside the CAF Spectrum of Care is not reimbursed.

Serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) get their health care through CAF health services rather than a provincial plan or a workplace insurer. That system covers a defined Spectrum of Care, and massage therapy sits outside it. Acupuncture can sit inside it, under specific conditions. Here is how each works, and what your options are.

Massage therapy is an excluded service

The CAF lists massage therapy among medical services excluded from entitlement. Its exclusions page carves out one exception: still-serving members pensioned by Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) who were medically assessed and found eligible for the treatment in 2013.

For most serving members, that means:

• CAF health services will not pay for a massage you book yourself;
• a referral or note does not change the exclusion;
• products and services outside the CAF Spectrum of Care are not reimbursed.

The same page also excludes most services provided for purely cosmetic purposes, which is worth knowing if you are considering body or facial treatments.

If you are a VAC-pensioned member

The exception is narrow on purpose. It applies only to members who are still serving, who hold a VAC pension, and who were already medically assessed and found eligible for massage in 2013. If that describes you, confirm the arrangement with your CAF health services clinic before booking, since the clinic holds the record of that assessment. If it does not, the general exclusion applies, even if a VAC pension covers other conditions.

Acupuncture can be covered with a physician’s prescription

The CAF covers certain practitioner services when they are prescribed by your attending physician, and acupuncture is one of them. The medical care services page lists it as covered when used in conjunction with pain management or as an adjunct to treatment of substance dependence, for 10 appointments.

Practitioner service	Appointments listed	Condition
Acupuncture	10	Pain management, or adjunct to substance dependence treatment
Physiotherapist	20	Prescribed by the attending physician
Chiropractor	10	Prescribed by the attending physician
Occupational therapist	10	Prescribed by the attending physician
Massage therapist	Not listed	Excluded from entitlement

CAF physicians can authorize attendance per condition, after which the physician follows up to check that care is progressing and to decide whether more is needed. So the first step is always a conversation with your CAF health services clinic, not a booking.

How payment and claims work

Medavie Blue Cross administers health claims for the CAF. For CAF claims, Medavie says they must reach Blue Cross or its agents within 18 months of the date of service.

If your physician authorizes acupuncture with a civilian practitioner, confirm before the first visit:

1. The authorization covers the provider you plan to see. Ask your clinic how the authorization is issued and passed to Blue Cross.
2. The practitioner can bill for CAF members. Medavie lists approved associations by province; for Alberta acupuncturists it names the College and Association of Acupuncturists of Alberta.
3. How many appointments are authorized. Keep track so you know when to return to your physician for follow-up.

Paying for massage yourself, and other plans

Because CAF health services will not pay for massage, members who want it usually pay privately or look to another plan:

• A spouse’s workplace plan. If you are listed as a dependant on a spouse’s employer benefits, massage by a Registered Massage Therapist may be covered there. Our page on claiming with two benefit plans explains how plans coordinate.
• After release. Veterans may be eligible for massage through VAC’s Related Health Services program; see massage therapy through Veterans Affairs Canada.

Families are a separate question. The CAF benefit pages describe entitlements for Regular Force and entitled Reserve Force members, so spouses and children should check their own coverage.

Acupuncture and massage at Renu

At Renu, Dr. Will Tanner provides acupuncture. He is a Registered Massage Therapist and acupuncturist, and he also offers fire cupping. Visits are:

• Initial consultation and treatment: 90 minutes, $150;
• Return visit: 60 minutes, $120;
• Follow-up: 45 minutes, $85.

If your CAF physician has prescribed acupuncture, bring the authorization details with you and ask us at booking how the visit will be billed. Our acupuncture coverage in Alberta page covers other plans if you have one through a spouse.

For massage you are paying for yourself, our Registered Massage Therapists see clients in West Hillhurst seven days a week; a 60-minute massage is $120 and a 90-minute massage is $157. Our clinic is on 19 Street NW, a few minutes from Memorial Drive, and you can book through Jane.

When to check with your CAF clinic first

Talk to your CAF health services clinic before booking anything you hope to have covered, and especially if the problem follows an injury on duty or is changing. Your physician decides whether acupuncture, physiotherapy or another covered service fits, and the authorization is what makes it a CAF benefit.

Questions people ask

Can a CAF physician prescribe massage therapy for me?

Massage therapy is on the CAF list of medical services excluded from entitlement, so a prescription does not make it a CAF benefit. The only stated exception is for still-serving VAC-pensioned members who were medically assessed and found eligible for the treatment in 2013. Ask your CAF health services clinic which covered options suit your condition.

How many acupuncture appointments does the CAF cover?

The CAF lists acupuncture at 10 appointments when it is prescribed by the attending physician for pain management or as an adjunct to treatment of substance dependence. Physicians can authorize attendance per condition, and the physician then follows up to decide whether further care is needed.

Are my spouse and children covered by CAF health services?

The CAF medical and dental benefit pages describe entitlements for Regular Force and entitled Reserve Force members, not families. Family members should look at their own health plan, or a spouse's workplace plan, for massage coverage.

What happens to my massage coverage when I release from the CAF?

Once you are a veteran, Veterans Affairs Canada may cover massage through its Related Health Services program if you are eligible. Our page on massage through Veterans Affairs Canada explains who qualifies and the yearly visit limit in Alberta.

Sources

1. Government of Canada (National Defence): Exclusions and limitations of CAF health services
2. Government of Canada (National Defence): Medical care services
3. Government of Canada (National Defence): Supplemental health care
4. Medavie Blue Cross: Federally administered program providers
5. Medavie Blue Cross: Approved associations

Page reviewed October 5, 2026. This page is education, not a diagnosis. For your own situation, talk to your doctor, surgeon or care team, or ask us.