Best Practice for Private Practice
Having a pediatric private practice these days is challenging! Networking at the AOTA conference last week as well as an informal polling among my OT friends/colleagues who own their clinics it seems many therapists face tougher reimbursement issues these days. Insurance companies may be paying less for pediatric OT services and Medicaid payments usually fall below the norm for hourly rates and allow only limited treatment frequency (such as 2x/mos. in some states). Most of the therapists I spoke with use ICD-9 coding for billing individual treatment sessions, then often supplement these services by offering enrichment programs that parents pay out of pocket. Handwriting groups, life skills, social skills and even yoga for special needs are some of the ways OT's are expanding their traditional private practice. With the combination of individual therapy and group sessions, many children with special needs can then get the full benefit of therapy services. AOTA has a short but helpful
FAQ section for the Pediatric Practitioner as well as information on
Reimbursement Resources. Do you own/work in private practice? How do you balance reimbursement with best practice? Drop me a note and share your thoughts.