When I thought about how to set up my physical therapy business, I decided to do something drastically different from the other typical physical therapy clinics out there.
Let’s back up a little first before I discuss that any further…
Over my past 11 years working as a physical therapist, I have seen significant (and frequent) changes in health insurance benefits. Premiums, co-pays, and co-insurance have all gone way up and insurance companies are covering less and less medical treatments. The paperwork got more and more – on the therapist side & on the patient side – and insurance companies would hope the PT or the patient made a mistake so they could deny services.
After a while, it became clear that insurance companies did not have the patients’ best interests in mind and also, that I was basically working for the insurance company and NOT for the patient.
So, I decided to make a drastic change to how I set up my business and decided to stop taking any insurance. Most importantly, I decided to start working for my patients and NOT their insurance company.
Let’s Backtrack Again to the “Good ‘Ol Days” of Insurance...
Years ago, it was common for someone to have no co-pay (or at most $10) and essentially have an unlimited number of visits to use for physical therapy. Insurance companies reimbursed therapists well for the services they provided and everyone was happy.
When someone called a PT clinic to inquire about PT, the conversation was 100% insurance-driven…their benefits would be checked (would take a few hours or maybe a day) and then people would decide if they wanted to book an appointment based on this information (co-pays, deductibles, etc).
Throughout all this interaction, not one thing had been said about the person’s actual problem, how long it had been there, how it limited their daily life, etc!? It was ALL FOCUSED ON INSURANCE!!!
Realizing this, at Modern Sports PT, when a potential patient calls, I personally spend 20-30 minutes getting to know the person, their issues and their concerns (either over the phone or in person…or both). We do not care about insurance or what they say or think we should do. WE FOCUS 100% ON THE PATIENT and try to determine if we would be a good fit for each other first and then move forward.
While that seems like the reasonable, normal, and most effective thing to do, it’s unfortunately unheard of in the medical world.
Now, I can get a patient in for PT within a day or so from the time they call. I can focus on solving the issues and getting the patient to reach their goals quickly – whether that means returning to golf or tennis, playing with the kids, sitting at the computer or in the car without complaints, or improved activity and mobility.
Since I don’t have to worry about insurance requirements, limitations or their crappy reimbursement, I get to spend an entire 60 minutes with each patient (unlike the 10-15 minutes you get in typical PT clinics) and work with them as long as it takes to get them to their goals. This means the results come quicker and last longer as the quality of care is significantly better.
Surprised!?
If you are surprised that someone like me doesn’t take insurance, don’t worry because you are like most of the people that hear it.
It’s surprising simply because people are accustomed to medical professionals accepting insurance and they’ve never had to think about the pros/cons of accepting vs. not accepting insurance.
When the people I speak with take some time to think about what I have to offer them versus the typical in-network alternative, many of them decide to work with me. It becomes clear to them that they value the personal attention, treatment, & overall experience I offer.
More time spent with them, a better understanding of their problem & goals, fewer treatments needed, more personalized care….those are just some of the reasons people choose to become my patient.
And for those people who have high deductibles/co-pays or co-insurance (which is becoming more and more prevalent), the value of my services appeals to them even more as they are paying for medical services even if they are using someone in-network.
Remember, it’s:
YOUR HEALTH.
YOUR TIME.
YOUR MONEY.
YOUR CHOICE.
Benefits of Physical Therapy at Modern Sports PT:
- Patient-driven care, not insurance-driven care
- Comprehensive treatment approach: let's discuss all of your problems
- One-on-one hands-on care for 30 or 60 minutes
- Use of modern, effective treatment techniques
- Book within a few days; don't wait months for an appointment
- Treatment packages (and payment plans) available
- No hidden costs or unexpected bills
Call or Text me at 516-234-6856 to learn more!
If you have some questions or are unsure about what physical therapy is and what it can do for you, I recommend reading this FREE guide I wrote for people just like you:
