Frequently Asked Questions About Physical Therapy

This is the monthly amount you pay for coverage. The lower it is, the higher your deductible will typically be. Plans with low premiums and high deductibles often are called “catastrophic” plans. Conversely, higher premium plans often feature lower deductibles, copays, and coinsurances.

This is the total amount you must pay each year before your insurance begins to pay. For example, if your deductible is $4,000, then you must pay $4,000 toward deductible-applicable services before your insurance will pay anything. If your deductible applies to PT services, then you may have to pay per visit until you meet your deductible. Once you reach your deductible, your copay or coinsurance will apply.

High copays are another common drawback to low-premium plans. Remember, the copay applies even after you have met your deductible, and the copay for specialist visits—including PT visits—can be as high as $80-$100. So, if you anticipate a lot of office visits during this plan year, you will want to factor the copay into your decision process.

As previously noted in this document, coinsurance is another version of cost-sharing. So, you will likely have to pay either a coinsurance or a copay. However, while copays are fixed amounts—and thus, are more predictable—coinsurances are percentages. Therefore, your financial responsibility varies based on how much your provider charges for the services rendered.

Some insurance plans (e.g., PPOs, HMOs, and EPOs) are limited to a certain network of providers. So, make sure you have a good selection of covered providers and facilities in your area. If you travel frequently or live in a rural area, you may want to choose a plan that has no network restrictions.

If your insurance plan requires you to obtain a referral before seeing a specialist (e.g., a physical therapist), and you fail to do so, the insurance company may (more than likely, will) deny coverage for services rendered. So, if you do not want to go through a primary care provider (e.g., your family physician) each time you want to see a specialist, make sure your plan does not require a referral (a.k.a. prescription) for specialist services.

Some plans place a limit on the number of covered visits per year (e.g., 20 visits), while others allow for unlimited visits. If you are athletic, have chronic joint pain, or anticipate needing a joint replacement in the near future, you may not want any restrictions on the number of rehabilitative visits allowed.

Medicare only pays 80% of the cost of care, so many Medicare beneficiaries seek secondary insurances to pay the other 20%. However, even those plans often feature deductibles, copays, coinsurances, or visit limitations. Thus, we recommend posing all of the above-listed questions to any secondary insurances you are considering.