Follow This Quick Guide to Find the Right Physical Therapist

When it comes to matters of your health, you should take the lead. You are therefore entitled to pick a healthcare professional that best matches your needs. This article provides some guidelines for selecting the most appropriate physical therapist depending on the type of treatment you need and your insurance cover.

Understand your rights

In every state in the United States, you are allowed to directly seek the services of a physical therapist without going through a physician. However, your insurance policy may require you to first see a primary care physician or choose from a list of preferred providers.

If your doctor refers you for physical therapy to be carried out at the doctor’s office or at a facility from which the doctor stands to make a profit, note that you are under no obligation to have your therapy carried done from there. Selecting your preferred physical therapist is well within your rights.

How do you choose the right physical therapist?

Use the ‘Find a PT’ database to find one in your area. The area in which the health professionals run their practices should be your first search parameter. Note that every physical therapist found in the ‘Find a PT’ database is registered with the American Physical Therapy Association.

Call the clinic where the physical therapist practices and find out what services they provide. Physical therapists, such as those at Rehab Guru – Physical Therapy Clinic, are highly experienced and well-trained. However, a lot of them specialize in certain areas, such as women’s health, sports, geriatrics or pediatrics. They may also practice in a certain setting, e.g., outpatient or home health.

Determine whether the physical therapist is included in your insurance company’s list of preferred providers. The cost of your physical therapy will be significantly lower when you receive the service from a participating provider. Still, a number of physical therapists accept payments in cash.

Find out whether the clinic submits claims to insurance companies on behalf of patients. Some policies require you to pay for the services, with the amount due dependent on whether the provider is included in your insurance company’s network of providers. Additionally, you are required to meet your deductible.

While the clinic may help you estimate the cost of the physical therapy, it is advisable to get in touch with your insurance provider before starting the treatment to confirm the out-of-pocket costs.

How do I find a physical therapist?

A majority of therapists specialize in treating certain body parts, such as the shoulders, hands, knees, neck, etc. Alternatively, the physical therapist may focus their treatment on stroke rehabilitation, sports injuries, prenatal/postpartum care and other areas of physical therapy.

It is important to note that another body that may certify physical therapists is the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS). Therapists may be certified in any of the eight areas of specialty in physical therapy: sports, orthopedics, pediatric, geriatrics, neurology, cardiopulmonary, clinical electrophysiology and women’s health.

When considering physical therapy, the effective strategy is comparing a number of professionals using basic criteria and once you narrow down to a few, use more specific criteria to choose one that matches your needs.