Why choose Cash Based PT?!

As a Physical Therapist who worked in a regular hospital based outpatient clinic for 12 years I was hesitant to leave that setting, feeling unsure that people would choose to pay out of pocket for PT when they could use their insurance! BUT, I decided to do it & want to tell you all the reasons I believe that cash PT can be your very best option!

First...What is cash based PT? Well, it's simply Physical Therapy that you pay out of pocket for. There are a growing number of Physical Therapists (like me! 💁‍♀️) who are choosing to practice independently and not bill insurance. There are a number of reasons for that... for me it was improved autonomy with schedule, not letting insurance dictate what patients need, better patient relationships, and a larger variety in how I can help people (maybe that topic needs it's own post? 🤔).

Here are a list of reasons I think that cash based PT can be an excellent option for you:

Improved one on one time with your therapist. In many outpatient settings appointments can be shorter and (in non covid times) slots can be double booked. Usually cash PT will have a full slot dedicated to that patient. Also, in the outpatient setting there are other duties and typically a large amount of note writing that takes place, so even if your therapist is spending time with you, are they fully focused on you? Or more focused on getting all their other work done?

An improved and more consistent relationship with your therapist. I know when I was working for a hospital based outpatient center it was frowned upon to have a relationship with your patients outside of them contacting you at work, which makes total sense! Do I think a therapist should be available at all hours, not really...but by having a PT who works more independently it is often easier to communicate quickly through text/phone calls to address any issues or questions you may have between sessions.

Could actually save you money in the long run. Wait! What?! This definitely is not true in all cases, but possible! Many times a traditional outpatient clinic will recommend you come 2-3x/week for a specific amount of weeks (commonly 6 weeks)...and sometimes choose to use all those sessions. Cash based PTs are usually much more free with appointment times and try to put more emphasis on getting you better fast and with less frequency. What to pay attention to is...What is my copay? How much do I pay out of pocket for PT anyways? What does this clinic charge? Could I get insurance to reimburse me an out of network price from my cash PT? These are all great questions that you should get the answers to if cost is your main concern.

Freedom to address any and all issues in sessions. So I have had this happen numerous times with patients. Let's say you are going to PT for wrist pain then you strain your hamstring (what a bummer!). You go to your next PT visit and really want to address your hamstring because that is causing more problems. Well, in many cases the PT might say that you would need to schedule a separate eval time for that hamstring...I am sure the PT would like to help you...but often times insurance mandates you have a full evaluation for them to pay for that treatment...so often you will have to go through more steps. With your cash PT you really will have the freedom to focus on and address anything that comes up from visit to visit.

Work with someone who is an expert in what you are looking for. Is this always necessary! NO! Buuuut, it can be extremely beneficial to work with a PT who knows your sport or activity! Or maybe you are looking for someone with a specific skill set. Sometimes in a clinic setting you will get put with different people, which is not always best for you! There are expert PTs out there in almost any topic you could want & typically if someone is more of an expert in the type of patient you are, you will have improved results.

Ability to work beyond just functional impairments. This can be a huge one! In most insurance based settings you should really only be in PT for as long as you have a functional impairment....which means once you are back to activity PT should end. But what if you like working with your therapist and feel like they could help you with performance also? This gives an option for therapists to use expertise in the realm of strength, conditioning, performance, and injury prevention to help you be and feel your best.

In many cases a Physical Therapist should be your go to provider for any musculoskeletal concerns! Having one you trust and enjoy working with can be extremely important to injury prevention and recovery.

If you are interested in discussing options for working with me please email Jenny@builtbyborda.com