It is health insurance enrollment season and most of us choose our policy with the hope to not meet the deductible on our plans. But, life happens and taking care of ourselves is important. If you have already met your healthcare insurance deductible this year, now may be the time to consider getting the care that you may have delayed.
“We typically see an uptick in patient visits at the end of the year,” notes Julie Wingen, DPT, owner of the private physical therapy practice, Pain & Movement Solutions. If your insurance deductible has already been met, your cost for therapy services may be significantly reduced, or better yet – covered 100%, depending on your individual plan. So now is the perfect time to give physical therapy a try! “Sometimes people have been dealing with a nagging pain that they have been dealing with for a while and decide to take advantage of their insurance plan to get their issue resolved before the end of the year.” Wingen warns, “If you are considering sneaking in a surgery before the end of the year, it is important to consider your rehab costs and follow-up care that you will incur in the following year and it may be better to schedule it after the first of the year.”
Here are a few services that many patients choose to pursue before the end of the year:
- Screenings and other diagnostic testing, including bone density scans and annual skin checks.
- Surgeries, such as joint replacements, meniscal repairs or rotator cuff repairs
- Physical therapy for back or neck pain, knee pain, shoulder pain, and other pain you may have been suffering from this year.
- Procedures, such as heart catheterizations or spinal injections.
- Injections for treatment of conditions like osteoporosis or even contraception.
South Dakota is a direct access state, which means you can schedule an appointment for physical therapy with, or without a referral from your physician. Pain & Movement Solutions offers free consultations where you can talk about your pain or injury, one-on-one with a physical therapist, and see how physical therapy can help you. Wingen encourages the public to contact Pain & Movement Solution’s billing department at 605-723-0185 if you are curious how physical therapy affects your insurance.