The New AND Improved Physical Therapy Model

The number one question we get asked at Trident Physical Therapy during a phone consultation is,” Do you take my insurance?” The quick answer is no, we do not. BUT, there are layers to this so stick with me here. There are major reasons why we don’t take insurance and it’s all centered around providing the best care possible for our patients.

 I used to work for a large outpatient orthopedic company with an insurance-based model and had to deal with insurance companies on a daily basis. The biggest problem that I would see is that the insurance companies have way too much control over your plan of care. Someone in a cubicle that has no idea who you are and what you are going through is deciding how many visits you will actually be “approved” for.

 Here's an example of a common scenario I would see with ACL surgeries. On average, we would receive about 20-24 physical therapy visits/year for patients following this type of surgery. For anyone that is familiar with ACL rehab, you know that 20-24 visits are just scratching the surface. Sure, maybe it’ll get you back to basic day to day activities, such as walking and going up/down stairs, but what about the athlete that is looking to get back to competing at an elite level?

 How about another example? I remember working with a patient dealing with constant neck pain throughout the day. She was gradually making progress each week, but she wasn’t making progress as quickly as the insurance company would have liked. Because of that, she was cut off from physical therapy and basically told to figure it out on her own. There is something wrong with this picture, right?!

 So, you can see my frustration with insurance and how they are not “patient first,” especially when it comes to physical therapy. This is why we have transitioned to this new model since the traditional model just doesn’t line up with our core values here at Trident Physical Therapy.

 If you’ve ever been to a traditional physical therapy clinic, your sessions probably are going to go as followed: Waiting for 10-15 mins to be brought to your table by a part-time aide…10 mins of heat/ice and stim (time filler)…then, the same part-time aide will walk you through your exercises…you’ll finish the exercises and go back to your table to wait for your physical therapist…then spend about 5-10 mins with your PT since there are multiple patients scheduled at the same time as you…probably ending with ice for another 10 mins (time filler).

I use to average 25-30 patients in a 7-hour shift. You can see how only 5-10 mins with a patient makes sense now huh. This is no fault of the physical therapists working for this type of business model. Unfortunately, when it comes to the traditional physical therapy model, quality is sacrificed for quantity due to low reimbursement rates by insurance companies.

Now, we know not being in-network with insurance is a different concept for some to understand. Honestly, I think it’s the best thing about Trident Physical Therapy. We are able to treat patients the way we think they should be treated, with their best interest in mind. Although it may be a cash-based model, your health is worth it and is the best investment one can make.

 So what’s the benefit if you don’t take my insurance?

1.     You actually get to see your physical therapist. Crazy right?! I know it sounds like common sense, but unfortunately it is not the norm. Here at Trident Physical Therapy, you will receive 100% one-on-one time with your physical therapist.

 2.     Contrary to popular belief you might actually save money even if you are not able to utilize your insurance. Since we see patients one-on-one for the entire hour, we only need to see patients once a week compared to the typical 2-3x/week you’ll get at a traditional physical therapy office. I don’t know about you, but as a busy dad with two boys, I don’t have time for PT 3 days a week. I’m sure you feel the same way!

3.     Get better faster! We are very serious about quality over quantity and taking your time seriously so that we can get you back to the things you love to do sooner. 

4.     We can treat whatever we want. Are you dealing with low back pain, but your shoulder is bothering you as well? In the traditional physical therapy model, you are going to need two different scripts and two different evaluations to assess both body parts. At Trident Physical Therapy, we can address everything at once and nip those symptoms in the bud sooner.

 5.     Just because we may not be in-network with your insurance, does not mean that you may not have out of network benefits that could get reimbursed. At Trident Physical Therapy, we will provide you with a super bill at your request so that you can submit and get reimbursed by your insurance company.

Here at Trident Physical Therapy, we are very confident that we will provide a quality of care that is unmatched. With our model, you will not only save time, but you will ultimately save money and achieve your desired results faster.

 Don’t let insurance dictate your health and physical therapy care. We don’t!