Does Insurance Cover Physical Therapy?
8 Minutes
Team Curative
Apr 4, 2024
In recent years, advances in physical therapy have changed the overall approach to the practice along with people’s awareness of it. Physical therapists (PTs) now place a bigger emphasis on preventive care and early intervention.
Many insurance policies, including employee-sponsored and affordable health insurance plans, provide some form of coverage for physical therapy. However, it’s not always straightforward. Policyholders often have to navigate complicated terms and deal with copays and deductibles.
If you feel you could benefit from physical therapy, it’s best to understand what type of coverage you have first. There’s a chance you’ll need ongoing treatment to reach your wellness goals.
To help you out, we’ve broken down the basics of physical therapy and how our affordable health insurance provides coverage for this preventive care measure.
Do affordable health insurance plans cover physical therapy?
Every insurance policy treats physical therapy coverage differently. Depending on the level of coverage your plan provides along with copays and deductibles, you may end up with out-of-pocket expenses.
Before you see a physical therapist, you’ll need to visit your general physician so they can confirm the treatment is necessary. This is a condition of most insurance plans. Once you’ve confirmed that you need physical therapy, talk to your insurance company about coverage and whether you must see an in-network PT.
Physical therapy isn’t a one-off treatment. It typically requires ongoing sessions, which means you’ll need to consider the level of coverage to calculate the long-term cost.
What is physical therapy?
People searching for treatment for pain, lack of mobility, or muscle weakness often turn to physical therapy. Also called physiotherapy, this practice employs targeted exercises, massage therapy, and treatments based on physical stimuli, such as heat, cold, ultrasound, or electrical currents.
Physical therapy addresses acute and chronic issues and is often used as a rehabilitative measure by athletes and people recovering from an accident. Many people opt for this cost-effective preventive treatment option as an alternative to medication or surgery.
A physical therapist works with people of all ages and provides care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Their job involves diagnosing impairments, creating a custom treatment plan, and using a hands-on approach based on a person’s condition and health goals. There’s also an element of education involved so the patient can continue physical therapy at home.
In addition to exercises, physical therapists perform guided movements and stretches to relieve pain or stiffness in joints and muscles. This is often done to prepare a patient for the increased physical activity that’s required during their therapy.
Why and when should I seek physical therapy?
People from all walks of life use physical therapy to recover from injuries, increase their mobility, or engage in proactive, preventive care. It benefits athletes, people with serious physical impairments that affect their quality of life, or those with minor complications.
If you’re experiencing pain or mobility issues, there are several signs that physical therapy could benefit you.
Persistent pain
It’s important to seek treatment if you’re experiencing pain that lasts weeks or months. You can’t rely on basic at-home measures like applying heat and ice or taking over-the-counter pain medication forever. Waiting too long to see a physical therapist could lead to more serious health issues in the future.
The pain is limiting your activity
If you have to change your lifestyle to account for muscle or joint pain, it’s time to seek help. You may experience discomfort doing simple things like walking, sitting, or standing. Or, the pain could keep you from engaging in the exercises you’re accustomed to.
You’re recovering from an injury
If you’re ready to start regaining strength and mobility after a broken bone or torn muscle, a physical therapist can guide your recovery. They’ll make sure you’re using the injured muscle effectively so you don’t fall into bad habits that could lead to long-term health issues.
You want to engage in preventive health
A great way to reduce the risk of muscle or joint pain in the future is to spot what you’re doing wrong now. A physical therapist can help by discovering small issues that could lead to chronic problems down the road.
They’ll screen you for
Overuse or underuse of muscles
Muscles imbalances
Muscles weakness
If they find an issue, a PT will take you through exercises to correct what’s out of balance. By looking at how your body works as a whole, they can get you on a track to a pain-free future.
You want to fine-tune your mechanics
If you engage in specialized workouts like CrossFit or weight lifting, it’s important to execute the proper technique. If you don’t, you risk injury or degenerative issues affecting your muscles and joints.
A physical therapist can assess your movement to ensure you’re not putting strain on a certain area or overusing a muscle group. This preventive measure will help you avoid injury and also increase your performance.
What should I expect at a physical therapy appointment?
Your experience with physical therapy depends on the reason you’re seeking treatment and the extent of your condition. However, there are several things everyone can expect from a physical therapy appointment.
You’ll need to bring certain information about your condition to your first visit. The more information, the better. Consider the following questions:
What caused your physical impairment?
How long have you experienced a problem?
How often do you experience symptoms?
Does anything make the problem better or worse?
Once you’ve discussed your condition, your physical therapist will perform an examination. These exams often look at:
Range of motion
Strength
Palpation
Functional mobility
Balance
Neurological screening
The exam results allow your PT to create a treatment plan. They’ll discuss the goals of the treatment with you and let you know what methods they’ll use to get you on a path to better health.
The course of your treatment depends on the extent of your injury or physical impairment. Your therapist may give you a home treatment plan and in-person appointments focusing on exercises, guided stretches, or physical stimuli. Some people finish physical therapy in just a handful of sessions and others need ongoing treatment.
Did you know the Curative health plan covers physical therapy?
Curative’s affordable health insurance plans make it easy for you to take advantage of preventive care like physical therapy. Our members work with a Care Navigator who ensures you take all necessary steps to receive the best care.
As a Curative member, you’ll take part in our Baseline Visit within 120 days. During this visit, you’ll create an individualized, preventive care plan. You’ll also unlock access to $0 copay, $0 deductible, and $0 for in-network care.
Getting covered for physical therapy under Curative
During your Baseline Visit, you’ll need to discuss whether you’d benefit from physical therapy. Your Care Navigator will then help you find an in-network PT in your area.
You can also schedule an appointment with your primary care provider and get a referral at any time. There are no copays, deductibles, or additional costs for scheduling. This is all included in the monthly premium.
Curative offers an alternative to many affordable health insurance plans out there. We focus on proactive, preventive care people can understand and trust. We want our members to feel confident they’re getting the help they need when they need it. Imagine - a care plan that actually delivers better health.
About Curative
Curative wants people to get the most out of their coverage and make preventive health a priority. That’s why we’ve built a plan that delivers better health through affordability, engagement, and simplicity.
No copays. No deductibles. No...really. Curative is changing the way we view health insurance.
To see all disclaimers, please view here.
References
The Health Site. (2023, September 6). How has Physiotherapy evolved over the years | TheHealthSite.com. TheHealthSite. https://www.thehealthsite.com/diseases-conditions/the-evolution-of-physiotherapy-from-ancient-techniques-to-modern-rehabilitation-1007311/
Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). (2020, August 27). Physical therapy. InformedHealth.org - NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK561514/
5 signs you might benefit from seeing a physical therapist. (2022). Houston Methodist on Health. https://www.houstonmethodist.org/blog/articles/2022/sep/5-signs-you-might-benefit-from-seeing-a-physical-therapist/
Pt, B. S. (2023, June 14). Is physical therapy covered by insurance? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/physical-therapy-cost-5194917
Pt, B. S. (2023, July 5). What to expect at physical therapy. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-to-expect-from-pt-during-the-first-appointment-2696665
