PT Perspective on Optimal Way to Manage Costs

[Guest guest]

Thanks to those who provided feedback, both publicly and privately, on my

question regarding Landmark's Care Management Program. Very helpful. In

summary, the responses stated that we all (the PT, insurer, and patient) want to

improve quality of care, and we all understand the need to cut costs, but no one

who responded felt that the Landmark's Care Management program was the right way

to do it.

So, my question is....what IS the right way to do it? If you were tasked to

figure out the optimal way(s) to decrease PT medical costs by creating a

win-win-win situation for the PT-insurer-patient, what would you recommend? In

responding to insurance executives regarding my clinical perspective, I not only

want to provide clear feedback on what PTs feel is NOT the correct way to manage

costs, but also what they feel IS the correct way to manage costs (e.g. decrease

fraud? reimbursement based more on evidence-based medicine/comparative

effectiveness, partnership where the insurer helps PTs stay up-to-date on the

latest research, prospective payment system rather than fee-for-service

reimbursement, pay-for-performance programs, more 'telemedicine' PT, etc). Your

input would really be helpful in developing my response. Thanks so much.

Beth Rohrer, PT, DPT

Outpatient PT - Centreville, VA