Top 5 Reasons to Seek a Cash Based Physical Therapist
Cash PT is on the rise. So there has to be a reason people are seeking out this kind of care when there are a lot of options on the market. Well I’m here to tell you…it is well worth the investment! Not only for quality care, but financially as well.
1. Insurance will try and dictate what you can and can’t do.
Yup. 100%. It’s all about pleasing insurance companies. In the physical therapy world, insurance companies have made what are called “timed codes”. This means you have to do a certain code for a specific amount of time before it will be covered by the insurance company. For example: If you are doing an exercise, you have to continue to do exercises for at least 8 minutes before it will be reimbursed. And then another 8 minutes after that for another code to be reimbursed.
This is why a lot of physical therapy clinics have productivity standards. Meaning, each PT has to bill a certain amount of codes with each person to meet the standard. This can lead to seeing more than one person at a time. I was once in a clinic where, during the busy time of the day, I was juggling 4 different patients all within the same 30-45 minutes. How can you be giving your 100% to a patient when you are being pulled in different directions?? You just can’t.
With cash PT there are no timed codes to meet, no other clients to see at the same time, and no insurance company micromanaging a provider who has spent several years in school learning their craft.
2. Going to a cash PT can actually save you more money in the long run.
Most places want you to come in 2-3 times per week for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. With a lot of high deductibles, co-pays, and visit limits, you end up spending sometimes $90-$100 a visit WITH INSURANCE! Multiply that by 2-3 and you're spending $180-$279 per week. Multiply that by 6-8 and you are spending $1,080-$1,440 for your treatment plan...and a lot of times you aren't the only one being treated at that time and your treatment is 30-45 minutes.
Someone with a copay of $65 per visit going 2-3x per week for 8 weeks means you’re spending well over $1000 during the course of that treatment, and often times only getting 15-20 minutes of one-on-one time with the PT.
On average, I typically only see my clients 1x/week for a full hour. In most cases, this continues for 4 weeks and I try to start the weaning process to 1x every 2 weeks and so on. This allows you to have ample time to really work on your specified program and start to see results. So over the course of your treatment you are spending less than what you would with insurance based PT and you are getting a full hour of one-on-one direct care with me. Not only does this end up saving you money, but it saves your time by not having to schedule 3 visits a week.
Depending on your out of network benefits, some insurance companies will accept a superbill from your out of network PT and reimburse you either fully or partially for your visits. This can be provided upon request from your cash PT.
3. This brings me to my next point…more one-on-one personal time with your PT.
The reason I got into physical therapy was because I wanted to be able to take that journey with you from beginning to end. I want to be right along side you seeing your trials and setbacks and turning those into big wins. Physical therapy should be a personal experience and a lot of times emotional. A lot of my clients are active individuals so when they are having pain or discomfort or trying to get back from a surgery, it is not only physically tough, but mentally it is draining. Being able to have a private session and a full hour to work on things allows us to build a relationship which in turn helps with the mental stamina and energy!
4. More freedom to address different parts of the body within the same session or treatment plan.
Seems crazy, but insurance companies require a whole new treatment plan in order to address a different issue. Say you initially start PT due to an elbow injury but your knee started acting up last weekend. I hate to break it to you, but you will have to start a whole new treatment plan for that according to insurance standards. Unless your PT can somehow justify your knee pain being related to your elbow pain…..but that’s a mighty far stretch.
If you’re seeing me for shoulder pain and tell me your ankle has been killing you, you can bet we will be addressing that issue so it doesn’t turn into something bigger. To me this just makes sense.
5. Shop Local!
Going to see a cash PT allows you to support your local economy. Especially with COVID going on, shopping local is more important than ever. When you shop local you create a sense of community. You support your neighbor…and in a lot of cases, they will be supporting other local businesses. I’ve always appreciated quaint local businesses, but since starting my own cash PT business, I have first hand realized how much the support means!
Last Thoughts…
When you are invested in your health, it can be hard to find the right clinician for you. Take the time to research and ask questions. Your health is more than just going through the motions. You have to be motivated to make a change and put in the work. But this pays off so much more than a quick fix. Soak in the knowledge and take action. Take control of your care!