NCBTMB Ethics, Laws, and Business 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following actions would constitute insurance fraud by a massage therapist?
- Billing for the exact services performed
- Billing for a longer session than was provided (Correct answer)
- Accepting cash payment alongside insurance
- Offering a sliding scale fee structure
Correct answer: Billing for a longer session than was provided
Billing for services or time not actually provided constitutes insurance fraud, which is both illegal and a serious ethical violation.
Question 2: A client discloses they have HIV during the intake process. The therapist should:
- Refuse to treat the client to protect themselves
- Treat the client with standard precautions as with any client (Correct answer)
- Require a physician's note before proceeding
- Disclose the information to the next therapist in the facility
Correct answer: Treat the client with standard precautions as with any client
HIV status alone is not a contraindication; therapists use universal/standard precautions with all clients regardless of known infection status.
Question 3: The concept of 'scope of practice' for massage therapists is primarily defined by:
- Individual client requests
- The therapist's personal training preferences
- State law and professional certification standards (Correct answer)
- The fee schedule of the practice
Correct answer: State law and professional certification standards
Scope of practice is legally defined by state statutes and further shaped by national certification body standards.
Question 4: A client asks a therapist to adjust their spinal vertebrae. The therapist should:
- Perform the adjustment if they feel confident
- Perform it only if the client signs a waiver
- Decline, as spinal manipulation is outside the massage therapy scope of practice (Correct answer)
- Perform it only in states without chiropractic licensing laws
Correct answer: Decline, as spinal manipulation is outside the massage therapy scope of practice
Spinal manipulation is within the scope of chiropractic or osteopathic medicine, not massage therapy, regardless of therapist confidence.
Question 5: What is the primary purpose of an informed consent form in massage therapy?
- To protect the therapist from all legal liability
- To ensure the client understands the treatment, risks, and their right to refuse (Correct answer)
- To document the client's payment history
- To satisfy state continuing education requirements
Correct answer: To ensure the client understands the treatment, risks, and their right to refuse
Informed consent ensures clients understand what treatment involves, potential risks, and that they retain the right to refuse or stop treatment at any time.
Question 6: Which of the following would be considered an appropriate professional boundary in massage therapy?
- Sharing personal contact information for social purposes
- Accepting expensive gifts from a grateful client
- Maintaining consistent professional communication limited to therapeutic matters (Correct answer)
- Meeting a client for coffee to discuss treatment goals
Correct answer: Maintaining consistent professional communication limited to therapeutic matters
Professional boundaries are maintained by keeping all communications and interactions within the context of the therapeutic relationship.
Question 7: A massage therapist who moves client appointments without notice, frequently runs late, and fails to return calls is demonstrating a lack of:
- Beneficence
- Professional responsibility and reliability (Correct answer)
- Technical skill
- Cultural competence
Correct answer: Professional responsibility and reliability
Professional responsibility includes reliability, punctuality, and responsive communication as foundational ethical business practices.
NCBTMB Ethics, Laws, and Business 5
Which of the following actions would constitute insurance fraud by a massage therapist?