How bad could the price of Physical or Occupational Therapy be?

[Tuckerman]

Or how high could it go? I can spend $50 a week for a POS Healthcare Plan or $20 per week for an HMO. The big difference is that with the HMO they cap Physical or Occupational Therapy at $5000 per year POS is unlimited. Could one easily spend $5000 in a year for Physical or Occupational Therapy?

[Camel Toad]

Could one easily spend $5000 in a year for Physical or Occupational Therapy?

Depends what you do to yourself.
My PT visits are slightly under $150 / hour (billed to insurance rate - well last years rates anyway). That would give you 33 - 1 hour visits in a year to meet your $5,000.

This isn't an unheard of # of visits if you have a chronic problem (back, etc. or a massive injury check this thread)

But for a "normal" injury (scoped knee) you probably won't reach 5 G's.

Hope that helps a little.

[stump832]

I think each of my appointments during my ACL surgery rehab was over 300 bucks. Wouldn't take too long to hit the cap if that were the case.

[Vinman]

its wicked expensive. pool therpay at the place I work at is about $45/ 30 min session. I have no idea waht we bill for other stuff but it is alot.

[Tuckerman]

its wicked expensive. pool therpay at the place I work at is about $45/ 30 min session. I have no idea waht we bill for other stuff but it is alot.

Is it the kinda of stuff I could do at the pool at my gym or no? I think $5000 should be good.

[Vinman]

the pool we have is a pretty high tech rehab pool. Its 8x12x 6 deep with an adjustable level floor, which happens to double as a treadmill. To get in and out, the floor of the pool raises out fo the water and then back in. There are also resistance jets and hydromassge options and underwater cameras so we can analyse gait. So not only do you get that but you get someone who's trained and knows what they are doing as far as rehab goes. So it is prolly worth the $85/hr.

But with that being said, most of it you could do in a pool at the local YMCA/college etc. if you knew what you were doing.

[bc]

My PT has all been $65/hr (University Health Center) covered at 80% by insurance, so even with a ultra-low $1000 PT cap I get 19 sessions. Enough for my ACL allograft and partial meniscectomy recovery. So $5k sounds like enough to me. So much of what's done at PT can be done in a gym on your own--so I go in every two weeks or so now, see where I'm at and get new exercises to do.

[upallnight]

you might get different "cash rates" vs through insurance. could be worth checking with a local provider -- put some feelers out there.

for what it's worth, i had 27 sessions for a meniscus repair. i'm sure i could have done less (~20) or more.

[ctarmchair]

I'd distinguish between "normal injury" PT (knees, uncomplicated fractures) and serious head or spine or other injuries that may involve significant occupational therapy in addition to protracted PT. Normal injuries, personal opinion, 5k should be pretty good. A serious head injury that interferes with memory transfer and attention, you could blow by the 5k pretty quickly. This may be less serious a concern if you also have good disability insurance. Most skiers and riders are actually very unlikely to have serious life-changing injuries, but you need to think about which risk group you put yourself in.

[Vinman]

CTA is definitly right on that, But I think we were mostly talking about staight forward therapy and not specialized care for head/spine.

And UAN is right about asking about a self pay rate, certain providers will probably cut you a break and not charge what they bill an insurance co.

[TWINS]

If the HMO is Kaiser forget about the P.T. There P.T.`s are a joke.I have since went to a PPO and can choose my P.T.$160 per session is the going rate for my P.T.

[FredsTrees]

My POS lasted 30 sessions, they capped it at # of visits. My sessions for shoulder reconstructions were 120$, although the insurance only pays them half.

I told my therapist i wanted to get a good rate so i could keep coming before next years visits come in. His rate is 30$ per 15 mintues, but after some talking we agreed to 60$ per visit. I am usually there 45 minutes. My co-pay was 20$ anyway.

[Tuckerman]

Thanks for the replies I went for the HMO for now I can change again in June if I don't like.

[sea2ski]

Thanks for the replies I went for the HMO for now I can change again in June if I don't like.

I hope your HMO isn't Cigna. I changed to POS simply because of the limited places where I could get my PT under the HMO plan. With them it's not just about the total cost it's also about the places that will accept their lower fees.