Keeping Health Care Costs Down & Quality of Care Up

Whether it’s a service or a product, most people look for the highest quality at the lowest cost. It’s clear that medical costs have been on a perpetual incline, and more people are aware of the need to keep costs down. However, how many people are willing to shop around for the lowest price along with high quality when the insurance company is footing the bill or at least most of the bill? Sure, they should pay most of the bill because people pay premiums, but one way to help prevent premiums from going up is to support privately owned medical and/or rehabilitation centers. There is a way to aid in keeping healthcare costs down and quality of care up.
An easy way to determine the highest cost places in which to receive your medical and/or rehabilitative care is to consider the nature and scope of the company who owns the medical and/or rehabilitative services offered. Whether in radio commercials or newspaper ads, it’s not uncommon to hear about how the medical and/or rehabilitation company owns numerous facilities in numerous locations. This is an instant cue that attending such a facility will most likely command a much higher cost to the healthcare system; anything owned by a hospital accompanies what are called ‘facility fees’, again inflating costs, when there are viable alternatives which not only lower cost, but avail patients/consumers the benefits of true capitalism. There is no advantage of receiving outpatient orthopedic physical therapy from a company who can charge ‘facility fees’ versus those who cannot.
Hospitals and large corporations have opened up numerous outpatient physical therapy facilities throughout the region and they continue to grow. By virtue of the ‘power of numbers’ they are able to negotiate higher reimbursements with insurance companies than your typical private physical therapist-owned center. A colleague recently sold his busy practice because insurance reimbursements were not high enough to pay his expenses. However, a large corporation could afford to take over his practice and pay these expenses. How? Because they have many locations and were able to negotiate much higher reimbursement and therefore could afford to stay in that location. Physical therapist owner out, large corporation in.
Increased healthcare costs contribute to increased insurance premiums to consumers. With increased revenues collected by large corporate and/or hospital entities comes increased opportunity not afforded the private medical and/or rehabilitation professional. Perhaps most readers have noticed that their physician has become employed or has become affiliated in some way with hospitals and/or large corporations. Alliances are formed between various physicians and these hospitals and corporations. Since physicians have been the primary source of physical therapy referrals over the years, when hospitals and/or corporations team up with physicians, then competition based upon quality of care becomes a thing of the past. This is not to say you won’t be well cared for in these centers, however, there is now a direct line of referral from the employee or affiliate to their own or affiliated rehabilitation center. This is why it is important to do your own research. Interview physical therapy centers yourself, visit them, and then make your own decision. Additionally, consider that physical therapists are legally able to evaluate and treat without a physician referral, however, depending upon your insurance you may need a prescription from a physician in order for your physical therapist to obtain reimbursement. At ProPT&Rehab Physical Therapy, we assist in this process.
In true capitalism, competition is fostered by offering a service to the public and then the public decides where they wish to go. It incentivizes professionals to offer more to their patients. Hospitals and/or large corporations can instill rigid policies which can limit the amount of time one receives during each visit in physical therapy. Therefore, healthcare costs can be higher and patients can be offered less time. As a privately owned physical therapy center, I am able to offer patients “quality perks” they are typically unable to receive elsewhere. Patients are able to attend physical therapy in our center without a specific time restraint and with no extra charges. We’ve had patients attend from 2 to 4 hours based upon need and motivation. Some often wonder what I could do with someone in that time period and don’t know why that much time is needed. Come visit for a free consultation and you’ll find out. If you don’t have that much time to spend, no problem, we are able to structure a program in accord with your time constraints. Also, return visits the same day are permitted without extra charges. If your neck pain was eliminated during the day, but it returns, come on back before the day is out and we’ll treat you again. If the public wants this type of care to perpetuate into the future, people need to take the initiative to determine the best place for them. Start by coming in for a free consultation. Start by evaluating privately-owned physical therapy centers.
To this day, many people do not realize they have the right to choose where they go for their physical therapy! Fortunately, there are still many great physicians out there who care about the well-being of their patients and will refer to whom they believe would best help their patients. However, it is important that people research for themselves.
Many still do not realize that they are able to consult with a physical therapist whenever they experience musculoskeletal pain. The sooner the physical therapist can see one, the faster needed care can be provided. Without the presence of private physical therapist-owned centers, you gradually hand over control to potential monopolies who don’t have to compete for your business. When competition is diminished, there is more room for running the facility in a way that is more efficient for business purposes, but less efficient for quality of care purposes. Feel free to consult with the hospital and/or big corporate centers, but also ensure that you consult with a privately-owned physical therapy practice. This way, you support true capitalism, you support competition, and you support the perpetuation of quality care. Most that compare us with others choose us.
See Testimonials and actual patient treatments on the Testimonials page at:
CapeMayPhysicalTherapy.com and/or MaysLandingPhysicalTherapy.com
See Testimonials from: Jack Facciolo, D.O. Rio Grande, Chief of Ortho surgery at Cape Regional; Suketa Nanavait, MD Cardiologist of Cape May Court House (treated as a patient); and Dr. David Rayfield, Northfield, who traveled over an hour for physical therapy care based upon word of mouth.
PRO PT & Rehab is located 650 Town Bank Road; N. Cape May, (609) 884-9800, and 4450 Black Horse Pike, Unit 3960, Festival At Hamilton Shopping Center; Mays Landing (609) 829-2664.