Many physical therapy students and physical therapists are interested in private practice. While private practice can instill some independence with providing high-quality patient care, often physical therapists are still restricted in how we manage our patients. A solution to this problem is cash-based therapy. More and more frequently we are seeing clinics preferring to avoid insurance altogether or have an option of paying cash instead of charging insurance. With the current Medicare laws, patients who are Medicare eligible are not allowed to receive care in exchange for cash. Should a Medicare beneficiary run out of approved visits and want further treatment, they are out of luck. With the proposal of the Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2013, Medicare beneficiaries will be allowed to seek care privately from physical therapists and other health care professionals. Check out this APTA form to show your support for the bill!
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Recently, I was evaluating a patient that presented with a subjective history typical of Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction. Additionally, she presented with an asymmetrical pelvic alignment: superior R iliac crest and PSIS along with asymmetrical pubic symphysis that was painful upon provocation. As you all know after our previous post, there is poor diagnostic accuracy when using alignment for diagnosis of SIJ Dysfunction. On the other hand, pain provocation tests are extremely effective in identifying individuals suffering from pain originating in the Sacroiliac Joint. Knowing that, I jumped to one of the SIJ clusters to rule in the pathology. I was extremely surprised to find that she was negative on all of the tests! Following a MET to restore symmetry in the pelvis, the patient's pain disappeared. Recognizing my confusion, my clinical instructor reminded me that she was currently on a steroid taper, along with a few other pain meds. In fact, the pathology was screaming at me with all of the subjective complaints, but I was too focused on the negative results of the SIJ cluster. This explained why I was unable to recreate the pain though testing. So, the lesson learned is be sure to take into account the current effects of any medications that might alter response to examination. Our tests and clusters with high evidence will not always be as effective as we think, and sometimes we have to lean more on the subjective findings.
While studying for the NPTE may be half the battle, figuring out how to register for exam is the other half. Below is a quick step by step breakdown on the requirements you need to complete to register for the examination. A. Log on to FSBPT website. B. On the main page, you will see shortcuts: Exam Registration. -This page gives you general information about exam registration and accessing other registration based services. C. From this page, you will see a second tab on the upper left corner also reads: Exam Registration. -The exam registration page has all the general information regarding pricing, test dates, requirements for registration. There are SIX requirements which are as follows: "1.…received and reviewed a licensure application from the licensing authority for the state in which you want to be licensed? -Remember that each jurisdiction has different requirements. 2. …determined which examination(s) you need to register for? 3.…confirmed that you meet your state's requirements to sit for an examination? 4.…notified your state if you require accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act? 5.…reviewed the FSBPT Candidate Handbook? Candidates who register and pay for the examination, but are not approved by their state licensing authority can withdraw their registration and receive a refund of their payment, less a processing fee." 6. After 1-5 are completed you will receive an Authorization To Test (ATT) letter from the FSBPT. -FSBPT will send you an "Authorization to Test" letter containing instructions on how to schedule an appointment with Prometric. Questions regarding registration processing may be directed to examregistration@fsbpt.org. Schedule an appointment for the examination with Prometric. You may schedule your appointment with Prometric online at www.prometric.com/fsbpt or by calling the number given in your "Authorization to Test" letter. Sit for the examination at your chosen Prometric testing site. You must sit for the examination within your eligibility period/date as indicated on the "Authorization to Test" letter provided by FSBPT. If you do not sit for the examination, or withdraw your registration, within your eligibility, you will be removed from the eligibility list and will be required to begin the registration process again. If you are still having questions regarding the process, you may obtain assistance by contacting FSBPT Exam Services at (703) 739-9420 and select Option 1. Therapydia is currently hosting the "PT Best Blog" Awards. The Student Physical Therapist was nominated as a top 5 finalist for the "Best Student Blog" category. If you enjoy reading our blog posts, please take a minute to vote for us as your favorite student blog. Here is how to vote: 1)Go to: http://www.therapydia.com/blog-awards 2) Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click "Vote Now" button. Thanks for the support! Currently the doctor of physical therapy degree consists of 3 years of education with both clinical and didactic components interspersed within these 3 years. Many students are paying thousands of dollars to be enrolled in an institution even when they are absent from their school almost 1/3 of this time. Yes, the school is working to place students in clinical affiliations and someone is "grading" your performance out in the clinic, but for many students the costs do not seem to add up. To add insult injury, with lower reimbursement rates and the tightening of federal regulations, physical therapists are not being compensated adequately once they enter the professional world. In this post, John Childs discusses where he believes the future of physical therapy education needs to head. Several schools are already doing longer clinical affiliations where students are receiving scholarships or payment for their services. Mr. Childs also poses the idea of these longer clinical rotations transforming into a post professional residency model. In this model, students would sit for the NPTE after 2 years of schooling and complete a 1 year residency program, similar to medical school. Heathcare policies and models are rapidly changing, will physical therapy education be on target for this change as well? What are your thoughts?
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