articleAug 9, 2018 | 7 min. read
The How and Why of an Effective Rehab Therapy Compliance Program
It’s no secret that the US healthcare industry is heavily regulated—and those regulations are strictly enforced. Take this recent press release from the Department of Justice (DOJ), for example. It explains how the DOJ charged 601 individuals with fraud—the largest healthcare fraud takedown in history. Among them: 71 physicians charged with falsely billing Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE in cases involving the prescription and distribution of narcotics. And in New York, 13 individuals were charged with conspiracy for …
webinarJul 16, 2018
Physical Therapy Billing Open Forum
It’s a bird; it’s a plane; it’s—a physical therapy billing expert? If you’re a physical therapy practice owner, manager, or biller, then you’ve probably wished for a billing superhero at one point or another. After all, while the PT billing process seems fairly simple on paper—therapists provide services, submit the CPT codes for those services, and receive payment—any seasoned pro knows it’s anything but. Rejections, denials, and reimbursement delays are more common than any of us would …
articleJul 13, 2018 | 5 min. read
CMS Puts FLR on the Chopping Block in 2019 Proposed Rule
Earlier this week, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2019 physician fee schedule proposed rule . Among other possible changes, the proposal includes a measure to end functional limitation reporting (FLR) requirements for claims with dates of service on or after January 1, 2019. The proposed rule aims to reduce regulatory burden. This measure aligns with the proposed rule’s overall theme of reducing the administrative burden associated with documentation and reporting requirements …
articleJul 6, 2018 | 5 min. read
4 Common Physical Therapy Billing Modifiers (and How to Use Them)
Physical therapists (PTs) enjoy being part of a profession known for compassion. The vast majority of PTs enter the field eager to help patients achieve their full functional abilities. That said, a PT clinic is still a business, and if you aren’t billing properly, it’s hard to keep your clinic afloat so you can improve the lives of the very patients you set out to help. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to bill in a way …
articleApr 9, 2018 | 5 min. read
The Cap is Gone, But KX Lives On: How to Handle Therapy Claims in 2018
It happened in the middle of the night: after months of debate and hours of back and forth that went until 3 AM on February 9, 2018, the Senate voted 71-28 in favor of a stopgap budget bill—known as the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018—that officially repealed the Medicare cap on therapy services . PTs, OTs, and SLPs around the country—especially those with Medicare claims sitting in limbo as they awaited further instruction from CMS—breathed a collective …
articleApr 5, 2018 | 4 min. read
Tricare Update: Changes to Tricare’s Reimbursement Policy for Therapist Assistants
If you’ve heard some buzz about Tricare changing its reimbursement policy for services provided by therapist assistants, you’re not alone—after all, we recently reported on those changes right here on the WebPT Blog . But, there’s been some confusion regarding when, exactly, the changes will go into effect—and we’re here to clear it up. So, read on to learn when your organization can begin taking advantage of this policy shift. The Current Payment Situation Tricare pays for …
articleMar 15, 2018 | 8 min. read
A 10-Point Plan for Smart and Secure Electronic Communications with Patients
As emails and text messages have become ubiquitous, patient expectations around provider responsiveness have increased. Gone are the days when providers set aside time each afternoon to return calls; now, they can simply respond to their patients’ texts—but should they? Many physical therapists, regardless of their practice model or patient population, are surprised to learn that they may not be allowed to interact with patients in the manner they—or their patients—prefer. These same providers are typically even …
articleFeb 6, 2018 | 7 min. read
What's Going On with the 2018 Therapy Cap?
Update: The therapy cap has been repealed as of February 9, 2018. Scroll to the last section of this post for details. Nowadays, you might be tempted to tune out, turn off, and log out at the mere mention of anything political. And considering the current climate within our legislative system, I certainly wouldn’t fault you for wanting to avoid the chaos. However, putting on the blinders could prevent you from learning crucial information. After all, the …
articleJan 5, 2018 | 5 min. read
4 Things Every PT Should Do After Taking a Con-Ed Course
Author and motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “Don’t let your learning lead to knowledge. Let your learning lead to action.” And this sentiment applies doubly when it comes to continuing education for PTs and PTAs. If you’re a physical therapy provider, then you’re undoubtedly aware that your state requires you to complete a set number of continuing education units (CEUs) within a specific timeframe. (If you’re a little hazy on the CEU requirements for your state, …
articleDec 29, 2017 | 7 min. read
Physical Therapist CEU Requirements by State
Recently, WebPT president and co-founder Heidi Jannenga, PT, DPT, ATC/L, published an article discussing the discrepancies between continuing education unit (CEU) requirements from state to state—as well as the importance of standardizing physical therapist CEU requirements (and developing better CEU delivery platforms ) to move the entire industry forward. Well, we decided to dig deeper into the differences in physical therapy CEU requirements by state. And it turns out that some states require a whopping 40 hours …
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