Coverage
Empire Life massage therapy claims
Empire Life massage therapy claims: submit at the clinic through providerConnect, online at pmw.empire.ca or by mail, within 365 days of the visit.
By The Renu lymphatic and massage team · 5 min read
Empire Life group plan members can claim massage therapy three ways: the therapist submits it at the clinic, you submit it online or in the app, or you mail a paper form with original receipts. Online and clinic claims are adjudicated in real time and usually reimbursed within 24 hours. Empire Life declines claims sent more than 365 days after the visit, or more than 90 days after your coverage ends.
Empire Life’s group benefits are built around fast claims: at the clinic, online or in the app, most massage claims are decided in real time. What Empire Life does not publish is how much your plan pays, because each employer designs its own. So the practical questions are how to submit, which network your clinic needs to be on, and how long you have.
Three ways to claim a massage
Empire Life’s Extended Health Benefits claim form opens with the three routes:
| Route | How it works | When the money arrives |
|---|---|---|
| At the clinic | Your provider submits; you pay only what the plan does not cover | If you paid in full, usually back in your account in 24 hours |
| Online or mobile | You submit through pmw.empire.ca | Real-time adjudication, or after receipts are reviewed; 24-hour reimbursement |
| By mail | Paper Extended Health Claim Form with receipts | Longer; used for services that cannot be claimed online |
Massage, acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy, occupational therapy and many other services can be claimed online. Empire Life asks that every receipt clearly shows the type of service being claimed, and that you copy the provider’s phone number onto the form exactly as the receipt shows it.
Which providers can submit for you
Empire Life names the providers who can submit claims on a plan member’s behalf: dentists, massage therapists, chiropractors, physiotherapists and vision care providers. There is one condition: the provider must be registered with providerConnect, the claims portal Empire Life uses, which it describes as enhanced fraud protection.
That detail matters for choosing a clinic. Empire Life does not appear on the TELUS Health eClaims insurer list, another network many clinics use. A clinic that bills insurers only through eClaims cannot submit an Empire Life claim for you, so you would submit it yourself online instead. Ask at booking. Our page on how direct billing works explains the two networks.
Acupuncturists are not on Empire Life’s provider-submission list, so plan to submit acupuncture receipts online yourself.
Deadlines and paper claims
Empire Life is clear about lateness. Claims submitted more than 365 days after the date of service, or more than 90 days after your coverage terminates, are declined as too late. If you are changing jobs or retiring, the 90-day rule is the one to watch.
For paper claims, Empire Life asks for:
- a completed, signed form with your address and postal code;
- original receipts (keep your own copies; Empire Life suggests it);
- if Empire Life is your second payer, a photocopied receipt with the original Explanation of Benefits from the first insurer;
- a voided cheque if you are setting up or changing direct deposit.
Payment of one claim does not mean future claims for the same service will be approved, and Empire Life may ask for more information. Its fraud notice also says evidence of plan abuse may be shared with regulators, other insurers and your plan sponsor. Our page on claiming on two benefit plans covers the second-payer order.
What to look up in your booklet
Because Empire Life leaves the amounts to each plan, check your booklet or member account for:
- the massage therapy per-visit limit and yearly maximum;
- the reimbursement percentage;
- whether a physician’s referral is required;
- whether compression stockings or other medical supplies are included, and what paperwork they need.
On referrals, the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association says standard plans offered by Canada’s insurers do not require a physician referral for paramedical services, but some plan sponsors add one. If your employer did, get it before the first visit. Our page on when you need a doctor’s note has more.
Lymphatic drainage on an Empire Life plan
Empire Life’s claim form has no line for lymphatic drainage, and neither does its list of services you can claim online. The form’s choices are professions: massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic and so on. A lymphatic session given by a Registered Massage Therapist is therefore submitted as massage, and it uses the same yearly maximum as a relaxation or deep tissue massage.
That has two consequences if you are planning a series after surgery. First, count how much of this year’s massage maximum is left before you book the full course. Second, if you are covered by a spouse’s plan as well, the second plan may pick up what the first does not; Empire Life’s form explains what to send when it pays second. A treatment by an esthetician, such as many spa-style lymphatic or body-contouring services, is a different matter, because estheticians are not among the professions Empire Life lists.
Using Empire Life at Renu
At Renu, massage therapy and lymphatic drainage are given by Registered Massage Therapists, and our acupuncturist is Dr. Will Tanner, who is also an RMT. Our published prices are on each service page; a few examples to compare against your plan’s limits:
| Session at Renu | Price |
|---|---|
| Massage, 60 min | $120 |
| Massage, 90 min | $157 |
| Massage and lymphatic combination, 90 min | $165 |
Ask us at booking whether we can submit to Empire Life for you; if not, the online claim at pmw.empire.ca is usually just as quick to pay. Sessions with our student practitioner are not RMT services, so check your Empire Life plan before counting on a claim. Book online through Jane from the massage therapy page or the acupuncture page.
Questions people ask
How much does Empire Life pay for massage therapy?
Empire Life does not publish massage amounts for its group plans, because each employer chooses its own design. Your per-visit limit, yearly maximum, reimbursement percentage and any referral rule are in your group benefits booklet or your plan member account.
Can I claim acupuncture online with Empire Life?
Yes. Empire Life's claim form lists acupuncture among the services you can claim online through pmw.empire.ca, along with massage, physiotherapy, chiropractic and others. Acupuncturists are not on Empire's list of providers who submit for you, so expect to submit acupuncture yourself.
My Empire Life coverage ended. Can I still claim my last massages?
Only for a short time. Empire Life declines claims received more than 90 days after your coverage terminates, even if the visit was within the usual 365 days, so submit outstanding receipts as soon as you know your coverage is ending.
Empire Life is my second plan. What do I send?
When Empire Life pays second, its form asks for a photocopy of the receipt plus the original Explanation of Benefits from the first insurer. Claim with the first plan, wait for its statement, then send both to Empire Life.
Sources
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.
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