Anyone who has spent time fishing knows the feeling of hooking what you think is the “big one” only to find it’s a “catch and release” fish once you’ve reeled it in. While it’s good to know that the time spent baiting the hook has paid off, ultimately the angler’s code dictates that you throw that fish back so that it can continue to where it belongs (or end up on another fishing hook if it’s unlucky.)   Trying to bring in new patients can be like fishing: while you might find yourself reeling in your ideal patients, there are plenty of times when you’ve got patients on the line that ..read more

Avast, readers! As it does every year, this edition of the State of Rehab Therapy report offered insights into the most thought-about and fretted-over topics in rehab therapy in 2023, including turnover and retention, burnout, student debt, salaries, and more. In fact, each report has enough compelling statistics and thought-provoking trends to dive into that it warrants its own webinar to break down the most significant findings.  During this year’s webinar, “The State of Rehab Therapy in 2023: Charting a Course Through Shifting Tides,” host Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC, Co-Founder and C ..read more

Direct secure messaging (also referred to as direct exchange, or DSM for short) is a big trend in health care these days. According to DirectTrust, a non-profit alliance for health data exchange, there were over 222 million direct messages sent in Q1 of 2023 alone, in addition to the over 290,000 organizations using DSM during that period.   That’s all well and good for other healthcare providers, but every rehab therapist who isn’t already using DSM is wondering, “Why should I start using DSM? How would it work in my practice and make my job easier?” Fortunately, we’re here to answe ..read more

Earlier this year, WebPT surveyed nearly 6,000 respondents for our annual State of Rehab Therapy report. Unsurprisingly, the data once again highlighted that higher salaries are the primary consideration of employees looking for a career change. In addition, salary negotiation and understanding ranked number one (42.1% of student respondents) as the most prominent concern students had when entering the workforce. In short, employees are looking for higher pay, students don’t have a clear grasp on salary negotiation, and a tight labor market already straps employers. With headwinds like these ..read more

All you physical therapy private practice owners and providers can take a collective sigh of relief because independent PT practices are most definitely not going extinct. There will, in fact, always be a demand, and therefore a thriving market, for private practice PT. However, current trends in physical therapy—as well as the healthcare industry at large—reflect a continuing shift of large physical therapy companies buying up smaller organizations. So where do independent PT practices stand in the current rehab therapy landscape? Let’s take a look.  The Data on Independent PT Private Pr ..read more

Since the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in the adoption of digital solutions within the rehab therapy arena. According to WebPT’s 2023 State of Rehab Therapy report, 68.3% of the nearly 6,000 respondents currently use telehealth, and—with just two years under its belt—15.8% of respondents have implemented remote therapeutic monitoring in their clinics. These data points demonstrate the growing acceptance of digital solutions to improve the overall patient experience and reduce the administrative burden that often impedes quality patient care.   Yet, despite this progres ..read more

Healthcare billing is a bit of a beast—but you already know that. Between navigating the ICD-10 code book, the CPT codebook with all of its HCPCS codes, and the plethora of billing rules put forth by CMS and other payers, it’s tough to create clean claims. But learning the labyrinthine twists and turns of billing is a necessity to running a successful clinic.  So we thought it could be helpful to provide you, not with misplaced modifier examples, but with some correctly modified billing scenarios. Read through the following treatment scenarios, and decide how to apply physical therapy mod ..read more

Say what you will about the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), they’re always looking out for providers’ wellbeing. Just as summer temperatures roil to record highs, they drop a nearly 2,000-page proposed rule to keep everyone chained to their desks as they try and parse the latest regulatory changes. Fortunately, we’re here to save you from that slog so you can get back to binging your favorite shows to beat the heat. We’ve gone through the CY 2024 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Proposed Rule and pulled out everything rehab therapists need to know for next year. So kick u ..read more

While payers may be making some positive changes to prior authorization requirements when it comes to Medicare Advantage, some insurance providers are still throwing up speed bumps to expeditious musculoskeletal care. As of April 1 and July 1, United Healthcare (UHC) has made the following updates to both its commercial benefit plans and its Individual Exchange benefit plans that add additional requirements for PTs, OTs, and SLPs: Initial authorization for therapy must also include a plan of care (POC) signed and dated by a referring provider or authorized specialist. The POC must include: F ..read more

Across the country, practice owners are faced with the same challenge: declining reimbursements paired with increased costs of delivering patient care. And in many ways, the growing demand for physical therapy only exacerbates these problems, putting additional pressure on a burnt out workforce, further compounding labor shortages.  To combat these challenges, many clinics are looking for new ways to generate revenue through expanded service offerings and retail programs. Fortunately, today’s patients are looking for a more holistic approach to their health and wellness. They’re not only ..read more