Fellow Practitioners and Interested Individuals,
Does anyone have any historical perspective or information on how O&P services came to be reimbursed based on the products we supply rather than the amount of time and materials that we put into a service?
How did it come about that Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Chiropractors, etc. can be reimbursed for both their time and any products they provide their patients?
Where and when did O&P elect to pursue a product-based
reimbursement approach? Or, was this form of reimbursement forced on O&P by legislation or reimbursement sources?
In the “old days” did O&P “craftsman” charge for their labor and parts, similarly to what an auto mechanic or skilled craftsman might do? In the “old days”, before Medicare and Group Health Insurance, how did reimbursement work?
As we watch the amount that we are reimbursed for our “products” dwindle each year are there any possibilities on the horizon that we might be able to be reimbursed for our time for some of our services? Is our method of reimbursement becoming untenable and outmoded?
It seems to me that any changes in our reimbursement approach would have to appeal to our reimbursement sources. It would have to be seen as fair and advantageous for all involved. There would have to be something in it for everyone. That is a tall order.
I’m very interested in how we got here and where we go from here, with respect to reimbursement.
Mike Raney, PhD, CO
