Is Physical Therapy Worth the Price? A Comparison Between In-Network versus Out-of-Network

Written by:
Ian Kornbluth
January 2, 2020

As physical therapy co-pays exceed $50 per visit, it’s only natural to start questioning if you’re actually getting your money’s worth.

Was my physical therapist prepared, ready, and on time for my session? Did I feel like I was the center of attention, or just a number? Did I get pushed off to a technician or aide? Could I have just done those exercises at home? Did I get any closer to reaching my goals?

You should be asking yourself these questions after each session to help determine the true value of your physical therapy.

Unfortunately, most physical therapists today are juggling 2, 3 or even 4 patients simultaneously every hour. They bounce around from person to person, typically giving cookie cutter treatments just to get through the busy day. It's not that they are necessarily bad therapists. Rather they are simply stuck in an insurance-based system where their employer forces them to treat in volume due to dwindling insurance reimbursement.

This compromised treatment approach often results in subpar outcomes. In fact, according to a recent analysis, only 6-25% of all patients in the conventional model actually complete a full course of care. That means up to 94% drop out of PT! It's a staggering statistic that should make you think twice about where you go for physical therapy. [Source: The State of Rehab Therapy by WebPT]

So how much would you pay to get a physical therapist's undivided attention? How much would you pay to get a whole body treatment approach that gets to the underlying root cause of your health condition? How much would you pay to return to your sport and active lifestyle sooner?

These are some of the questions that inspired us to create Activcore. This is a physical therapy experience that exceeds all expectations. By going outside of the insurance networks, we are able to offer quality one-on-one care revolving around each person individually for the best outcomes possible. Additionally, by treating every session like pure gold, we are able to guarantee that you'll get the most value out of each and every minute with your PT. In other words, you'll get the most bang for your buck.

MORE THAN JUST DOLLARS AND CENTS

So how much does it cost to go out-of-network? Maybe less than you think.

On the surface, paying just a $50 copay leads you to believe that seeing an in-network PT would cost you less than paying $200 per session to see an out-of-network PT. But let’s take a closer look.

Image property of Activcore


A $50 co-pay for only 15 minutes with the in-network physical therapist will cost you $3.33 per minute. In comparison, a $200 charge for 60 minutes with the out-of-network physical therapist will cost you $3.33 per minute. So they actually cost the exact same.

But what about the cost of your time? You would have to attend 4 times as many sessions in-network to equal what you could achieve each session out-of-network. That’s more time spent going to physical therapy (at $50 a pop). That’s more time spent away from your work, school and/or family. That’s more time spent in pain. Can you put a price tag on additional weeks of pain?

The point is, there are more factors to consider than just dollars and cents when determining the value of physical therapy. You shouldn’t leave an appointment wondering if it was worth your time. Instead, you should feel 100% confident that you made the right choice when it comes to both your health and your wallet.

Check out my next blog post explaining why more and more physical therapists are now opting to go out-of-network.

Disclaimer:  The views expressed in this article are based on the opinion of the author, unless otherwise noted, and should not be taken as personal medical advice. The information provided is intended to help readers make their own informed health and wellness decisions.

Ian Kornbluth

Co-Founder & CEO | Physical Therapist
Ian's entrepreneurial spirit stems from growing up in Arizona around the family business, a small chain of pizzerias. His parent's mission was to bring New York style pizza to the Valley of the Sun.‍ Early on in life, Ian learned how to treat the customer like a person rather than a number. He observed how the community came together to support an establishment that offered both quality food and an exceptional customer service experience. He also learned to appreciate how much commitment and perseverance it took to pioneer something new.
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