I will try to explain why we don’t accept insurance for our physical therapy services as briefly as possible. But this is something I feel very passionate about, so I really don’t want to oversimplify.
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At Carter Physiotherapy, we don’t directly bill health insurance or Medicare because that would have therapists running from patient to patient every 15 to 20 minutes and spending hours each day on paperwork. I became a Physical Therapist to help people to the absolute best of my abilities, and that means I need to spend my time with my patients!
Further, I didn’t open a private practice so I could become an expert at figuring out what treatment codes and billing techniques will keep my business from going bankrupt. I became a private practice owner so I could help people in the way I believe is best. So I don’t want to be limited by the terms of some insurance company or the federal government.
The negative influence of insurance on healthcare
Unfortunately, the health insurance and Medicare systems have distorted the way healthcare practitioners can provide care and still remain profitable. In the case of physical therapy, most practices must see multiple patients per hour, use inexpensive modalities, and have technicians/assistants provide care in order to remain profitable. In almost all cases I’ve seen, this diminishes the quality of care provided.
This scenario will only get worse as our population ages and our nation’s budget problems grow over time. Reimbursement for physical therapy services is bound to get lower and lower. And the practices who accept insurance and Medicare will have to see more and more patients each hour to stay in business. It’s a downward spiral, and I refuse to be a part of it.
The benefits of not accepting insurance
It is so rewarding to go to my clinic every day knowing I will spend a full hour with every patient. It gives me the time to get significant results in each session. I can still provide the paperwork for my patients to send self-claims to their health insurance, and many do. But because I have taken myself out of the system in this way, I am able to provide the highest quality care and get my patients better much faster than average. And that’s wonderful!
If you are dealing with pain and would like to know how we can help, call or text us at (512) 693-8849.
You have hit the nail(s) on the head!!! I became a PT and Feldenkrais Practitioner to help people, NOT to wrestle with payment/paper burdens as my primary energy expenditure in a given day. You also do a great job in your podcasts of pointing out that you don’t want patients in your practice with whom you need to further wrestle regarding the value of your services, the patient’s investment in their own care/wellness etc. Making the cash-based case up front helps to get folks in your clinic who are aligned with your style of care.
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to support those of us who aspire to cash-based practice!!!
Hi Jarod,
May I use this text in my webpage as well? You certainly nailed exactly the way I feel about insurance. Please let me know. Tks.
I’m okay with you using it as an outline/template but please change up the wording and order of the text somewhat … Google will often penalize webpages that have duplicate content. Thanks!