DIRECT ACCESS
How can I get into physical therapy without seeing my physician for a prescription? Direct access is present in Ohio. What is direct access? It is ability for someone to go directly to physical therapy without the need for a physician referral. Why is this important? This is important because physical therapists are the experts in the field of musculoskeletal movement and pain, and the quicker someone can get into therapy the quicker the pain will be eased.
RATES
The cost of service is $75/hour with appointments being scheduled for 1 hour. Starting January 2nd, 2023, cost per visit will be $100. A 1 hour block leaves time for the hands on manual therapy component of treatment along with leaving 10-15 minutes to go over the home exercises if needed. Exceptions and arrangements can be made if shorter times are needed, but one hour is highly recommended.
WHY NOT TAKE INSURANCE?
Does it cost a lot to go to Wright Physiotherapy? I am an Out of Network physical therapist which means I take cash, check, credit card, HSA payments only, BUT NOT INSURANCE. I do not except insurance in any way. The reason I do not accept insurance is due to the current healthcare model of physical therapy. This model works by the patient having a certain number of visits limited by the insurance policy and a negotiated contract with an “in network” clinic dictating how much reimbursement the clinic will get each visit. To make this model profitable, the in network clinic has to see 2 or more patients per hour with overlapping, and the use of assistants and aides to get enough reimbursements to cover the costs of overhead and upper management salaries. How is this a good model of healthcare when the expert in the field is not even seeing the patient most of the time? This is an awful model and I have a better way! The cash based model of physical therapy allows me to see patients quickly and at the patient’s request due to direct access. Me and only me, one on one, for an hour to diagnose and treat. This model allows for appropriate diagnosis and treatment with many fewer visits than the traditional model. No need to go to traditional therapy 2-3x per week for 4 weeks or longer seeing an assistant and an aid with high copay and deductible when you can see the expert 1x per week for 2-4 visits total. The upfront cost may seem higher but the results and quality of expertise will be unmatched.
CAN I GET REIMBURSED FOR OUT OF POCKET COSTS?
I am considered an Out of Network healthcare provider. This means you can submit my receipt and possibly get reimbursed by your insurance company at out of network rates, if you’re deductible has been met, or at least have my cost of service go toward your deductible. You can inquire from your insurance company about reimbursement from “out of network physical therapy”. How can I get reimbursed? A superbill receipt will be issued for all services with the appropriate codes and diagnosis for reimbursement to be submitted by the patient.
WHY WRIGHT PHYSIOTHERAPY IS A GREAT BARGAIN
With the cost of healthcare and high deductibles, Wright Physiotherapy is a bargain. Take for example shoulder pain. Typically you would wait to see your physician, and the pain would get worse making it more complicated and difficult to treat. Then, when you eventually go see your physician, you have a copay with the possible costs of xrays and testing that has to be paid for out of pocket with a high deductible plan. You may not even see the physician but a physician assistant (PA), and either way with the current healthcare model they most likely won’t even touch you. Good luck getting an appropriate diagnosis this way! After the 5 minutes with the physician or PA, you get a script to have therapy. You go to therapy and pay a high copay that goes toward your deductible, but may not even see the physical therapist after the initial evaluation until the very end. You will often do the same exercises each visit in therapy 2-3x/wk that you could be doing at home with only a limited amount of hands on therapy that actually gets to the root of the problem. Does this sound like a good model to you? This is the typical model, but does it sound like the best model? Wright Physiotherapy can do much better. At Wright Physiotherapy you will receive one on one treatment for a full hour with most of the treatment being hands on manual therapy utilizing complex osteopathic manipulation techniques, myofascial release, joint mobilization, and very specific exercises to address muscular deficits.