RCMP massage therapy coverage

RCMP regular and special constable members are covered for eligible health services through Supplemental Health Care, at no cost to the member and administered by Medavie Blue Cross; the current massage terms are in the RCMP Benefits Grid on Medavie's member portal. The most recent public Medavie bulletin, from 2014, named a medical doctor as the prescriber for massage and acupuncture and set a combined yearly allowance, so confirm today's rules in the grid before you book. Dependants' health claims go to Canada Life instead.

RCMP members do not use a provincial plan or a typical workplace insurer for their extra health care. Their coverage runs through the RCMP’s own Supplemental Health Care program, and the details sit behind a member login. This page explains what is public, what is dated, and how to get a firm answer before you book a massage in Calgary.

How RCMP health benefits are set up

Supplemental Health Care benefits are provided at no cost to eligible regular and special constable members, with some limitations, and Medavie Blue Cross administers them. The RCMP Benefits Grid, which sets out each covered service and its limits, is on the Medavie Blue Cross member portal.

That arrangement has three practical effects:

• the authoritative answer on massage is the grid, not a general insurance website;
• questions go to the Medavie Blue Cross contact centre at 1-888-261-4033;
• family members are covered differently, through Canada Life.

What the public record says about massage

The most recent public Medavie bulletin to RCMP providers is dated January 2014, so treat it as background, not as current terms. Effective January 1, 2014, it said:

Item	January 2014 bulletin
Services sharing one allowance	Acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, physiotherapy
Combined maximum	$4,800 per calendar year
Prescriber for massage and acupuncture	Medical doctor
Prescriber for chiropractic and physiotherapy	Not required
Preauthorization for acupuncture	Not required
Frequency limit	Removed

The bulletin explained that members could use any or all of the four services up to the combined allowance, with providers paid at usual and customary fees. It also ended separate codes for visits in excess of 25 per year.

Twelve years is a long time in benefits, so before relying on any of those figures, log in to the Medavie portal or call Medavie and ask three questions: Is massage therapy covered? Is a physician’s prescription still required? What is my remaining combined maximum this year?

The prescription, if you need one

If the current grid still asks for a medical doctor’s prescription for massage, get it before your first visit and keep it with your records. A useful note names the condition and the treatment recommended. Our page on the doctor’s note for massage therapy covers what to ask your physician for.

Approved associations and receipts in Alberta

Medavie Blue Cross keeps a list of approved associations by province. For Alberta it names the Massage Therapist Association of Alberta (MTAA) and the Canadian Massage & Manual Osteopathic Therapists Association (CMMOTA) for massage therapists, and the College and Association of Acupuncturists of Alberta (CAAA) for acupuncturists. Medavie also notes it can accept or deny associations for certain group clients under their contracts.

Because Alberta has no regulatory college for massage therapy, the association is how Medavie confirms a therapist. Ask which association your therapist belongs to before you book, and make sure the receipt shows it along with the date, service, length and fee. Our guide to massage therapy receipts walks through each line.

Deadlines and claiming

Medavie says RCMP claims must be received by Blue Cross or the RCMP Occupational Health Services office within 18 months of the date of service. That is generous, but a prescription, a receipt and a claim are easy to separate over a long posting, so keep them together.

For anything related to an occupational injury or illness, the RCMP directs members to their divisional Health Services and Occupational Health and Safety Services offices rather than to the general supplemental benefits.

Coverage for family members

• Dependants. Their health and dental claims go to Canada Life, at 1-855-415-4414 or through Canada Life’s plan member sign-in. If their coverage is the Public Service Health Care Plan, our PSHCP massage therapy coverage page explains its $500 yearly maximum at 80%.

A short checklist before your first visit

Five things make an RCMP massage claim go smoothly:

1. Your RCMP Benefits Grid, read on the Medavie portal within the last few months.
2. A physician’s prescription, if the grid still asks for one, dated before the first session.
3. Your therapist’s association name and membership number, checked against Medavie’s approved list.
4. An itemized receipt for each visit, kept with the prescription.
5. A note of how much of any combined allowance you have used, so acupuncture and massage do not surprise you late in the year.

Booking at Renu as an RCMP member

Our Registered Massage Therapists work from our clinic at 19 Street NW in West Hillhurst, open seven days a week with weekday hours until 8:30 pm, which helps around shift schedules. Massage runs from 30 minutes at $80 to 90 minutes at $157, and a 60-minute session is $120.

Dr. Will Tanner, an RMT and acupuncturist, provides acupuncture: a 90-minute initial consultation and treatment is $150 and a 60-minute return visit is $120. If acupuncture and massage still share one allowance in your grid, plan the year so that one does not use up the other.

Book through Jane, and tell us at booking that you are an RCMP member so we can talk through how billing will work for your visit.

Questions people ask

Do RCMP members pay anything for Supplemental Health Care?

No. The RCMP says Supplemental Health Care benefits are provided at no cost to eligible regular and special constable members, with some limitations. The limitations, such as yearly amounts and prescriber rules, are set out in the RCMP Benefits Grid on Medavie's portal.

Does an RCMP member need a doctor's prescription for massage therapy?

The last public Medavie bulletin for RCMP providers, dated January 2014, listed a medical doctor as the prescriber for both acupuncture and massage therapy, while chiropractic and physiotherapy needed none. Benefits can change, so check the current grid or call Medavie at 1-888-261-4033. Our page on doctor's notes for massage explains what a useful note includes.

Who do RCMP family members claim massage through?

Dependants' health and dental claims go to Canada Life, not Medavie Blue Cross. The RCMP benefits page lists Canada Life's plan member sign-in and 1-855-415-4414 for dependants.

How long does an RCMP member have to submit a massage claim?

Medavie says RCMP claims must be received by Blue Cross or the RCMP Occupational Health Services office within 18 months of the date of service. Submitting soon after each visit keeps your record of remaining benefits accurate.

Sources

1. Royal Canadian Mounted Police: Benefits information
2. Medavie Blue Cross: RCMP related health services provider bulletin (January 2014)
3. Medavie Blue Cross: Federally administered program providers
4. 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.