Physical Therapy Insurance FAQs
Physical Therapy General FAQs
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1. Does Physical Therapy Hurt?
2. Who chooses which physical therapist I go to?
3. How do I arrange an appointment?
4. What is my responsibility in physical therapy?
5. What should I bring with me?
6. Will my insurance cover physical therapy?
7. What is the co-pay for physical therapy?
8. What should I expect on my first visit?
9. What types of interventions may I receive?
10. How long is a typical treatment session?
11. How long is a course of therapy?
12. How is my progress measured?
13. What if I have an increase in symptoms?
14. I have never had physical therapy before, how do I know that my treatment is of good quality?
15. Will I need follow-up or maintenance care?
16. What if I need to return to physical therapy?
17. Is it OK to ask my doctor about physical therapy?
18. Are Physical Therapists licensed?
19. What should I wear to my physical therapy appointments?
20. Do I need a prescription from my Doctor to see a Physical Therapist?
Does Physical Therapy Hurt?
In almost all cases - No. The old adage, "No Pain - No Gain" is not true in most cases. You might develop some more muscle soreness from working muscles that you haven't used or that are weak. In fact, our primary goal is to reduce pain and this occurs before other things like strengthening.
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Who chooses which physical therapist I go to?
Most of the time, your physician will give you a recommendation or a listing of physical therapists in your area. Sometimes your insurance company will guide you with regard to who is "in network" for your insurance plan. Ultimately, however, the decision as to where you receive your care is up to you. If you have a specific request, you need to let your physician or insurance company know. If we are not in network for your insurance company we may be able to accept your out of network benefits. This means you would not be penalized for going out of network to see us. We will call your insurance company and find out your benefits, and then let you know what your co-payment would be, if any.
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How do I arrange an appointment?
If your physician gives you a referral to physical therapy, simply call our office for an appointment. You may call us at 201-723-7149 or check in online. Our clinic hours and location are explained on the location and hours page of this website. Our office staff will get all the necessary information from you and assist you with an appointment.
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What is my responsibility in physical therapy?
You are our partner in your recovery. Your physical therapist cannot do it without you! We ask that all patients and clients cooperate by following through with their home exercise programs and instructions, as this is extremely important in expediting your recovery.
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What should I bring with me?
For your first visit you will need your insurance card, and any paperwork that was sent to you that needed to be filled out. If you have any operative reports, MRI or X-ray results, you may bring those as well, but they are not necessary. Additionally, if you are utilizing any type of brace, splint, or crutches, those should also be bought along.
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Will my insurance cover physical therapy?
Although most insurance companies do cover physical therapy, what they cover specifically varies greatly. Please review our billing and insurance participation section on this website, and if you have additional questions regarding your specific insurance give us a call.
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What is the co-pay for physical therapy?
Co-pays are dependent upon your individual insurance. After your first visit, we will call your insurance and find out your benefits. We will give you a written summary of your physical therapy benefits with an estimated co-payment amount, if you have one.
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What should I expect on my first visit?
On your first visit, your physical therapist will perform an examination/evaluation to determine what deficits and/or problems you have that can be addressed in physical therapy. The examination/evaluation involves a thorough history, a systems review, and tests and measures that allow the physical therapist to get a more specific understanding of your condition. Your physical therapist will make a clinical judgment as to your diagnosis and prognosis. A treatment program will be developed aimed at resolving the problems identified as well as to attain the goals you set in conjunction with the physical therapist.
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What types of interventions may I receive?
The interventions you receive will depend on what the physical therapist finds in the examination/evaluation. Our intervention programs include coordination among all people involved in your care (other health care professionals, family, friends, caregivers, and others), communication to ensure a good exchange of information, thorough documentation of the care and services provided, and instruction to you and others involved in your care to promote and optimize our services. Most physical therapy plans of care will include three categories of interventions: therapeutic exercise; functional training in self-care and home management; and functional training in work or school, community, and leisure environments. Other interventions might include manual therapy techniques; use of equipment such as supports, orthotics, or prosthetics; airway clearance techniques; skin repair and protection techniques; electrotherapeutic modalities; and mechanical modalities.
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How long is a typical treatment session?
Plan on an hour for your initial visit and after that an ongoing treatment lasts between 45 to 60 minutes.
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How long is a course of therapy?
It depends upon the diagnosis, the severity of your injury and how dedicated you are to doing your part outside of treatments. Our goal is to not only get rid of your pain but to get you to the point where the likelihood of the pain coming back is significantly reduced. Most conditions will resolve with a 4 week course of treatment.
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How is my progress measured?
Because your physical therapist will perform a meticulous examination/evaluation, quantifying and qualifying all the deficits and problems you are presenting with, re-examination to determine progress is possible. You will be re-examined based on your diagnosis as well as on the chronicity of the problem. Additionally, the physical therapist always needs to be aware of follow-up visits with your physician, if you were referred by one, as a reexamination may be performed so that the physician can be updated at that time.
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What if I have an increase in symptoms?
If you have increased symptoms please call your physical therapist. When you call the office, please be sure you explain to the office staff that you are having an increase in symptoms. The office staff will pull your chart and contact your physical therapist or a covering physical therapist. We will be able to review the information and will give you a call back that same day. After we discuss the case with you, we will be able to give you guidelines as to what would be appropriate to reduce your symptoms, whether you need to come into our office, or if you should contact or follow up with your physician if you were referred by one. It is best to call us prior to calling your physician as if a change in symptoms has occurred, it is important that we fax the physician a report so that she can be up-to-date on your care when you see her for a follow-up visit.
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I have never had physical therapy before, how do I know that my treatment is of good quality?
The truth of the matter is that not all Physical Therapy and Physical Therapists are the same. In some offices Physical Therapy is delivered by non-qualified or non-licensed individuals. In some other cases less qualified individuals may provide basic modalities, such as heat, ultrasound, electrical stimulation etc, without use of skillful interventions such as manual therapy and therapeutic exercise. In our clinic, you will receive top quality treatments and from highly credentialed and certified therapists. We strongly believe in our Standards of Care, which will provide you with a better understanding of what good quality physical therapy really is.
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Will I need follow-up or maintenance care?
The answer depends entirely on the physical therapist's examination/evaluation to determine your diagnosis and prognosis.
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What if I need to return to physical therapy?
Please contact the physical therapist who treated you. He or she may be able to help you over the phone, but if you are having problems it's best to come in and let us find out what the problem is.
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Is it OK to ask my doctor about physical therapy?
Absolutely. If you have a problem that you think can be helped with physical therapy, feel free to give us a call. After discussing with you the specific problem you present with, we can give you a better idea if it is something that is manageable with physical therapy. You can also give your doctor a call. If he or she is not sure, he or she is welcome to contact us as well. In today's healthcare, if you feel physical therapy can be helpful to you, you will need to stress your feelings to the doctor you are seeing. We are happy to send the doctor information about our treatment programs if the doctor needs additional information.
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Are Physical Therapists licensed?
Yes, all physical therapists have to be licensed in the state in that they work. Licenses should be prominently displayed in the clinic. All physical therapits have to maintain their licensure status through an appropriate amount of continuing education courses, which you can ask about,
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What should I wear to my physical therapy appointments?
In general, wear comfortable clothing to physical therapy. If you are presenting with a problem of your cervical spine, upper back or shoulders, the therapist can provide you with a gown as needed to expose these areas. If you are coming for a lower-extremity problem, shorts are important. You can bring clothing with you if you need to change here.
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Do I need a prescription from my Doctor to see a Physical Therapist?
In the state of New Jersey, physical therapists have Direct Access to patient care. The law, Chapter 298 of the Laws of 2006, allows physical therapists with three years of practical experience to treat patients without a referral beginning November 23, 2006. This means that you can see our therapist without a referral for 10 visits or 30 days from the date of the first treatment. At the beginning of treatment without a referral, the physical therapist must advise the patient in writing of the possibility that the treatment may not be covered by the patient's health care plan or insurer without a referral from a physician, dentist, podiatrist, or nurse practitioner and that the treatment may be a covered expense if rendered with a referral.
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