Frequently Asked Questions about Physical Therapy

What does a Physical Therapist do?
Physical therapists examine, evaluate, and treat people with health conditions resulting from injury or disease. Physical therapists can help individuals increase and maintain muscle strength and endurance, restore and improve range of motion in joints, increase coordination, increase cardiovascular endurance, and decrease muscle and joint pain. Preventing injuries is another important part of physical therapy. Improving posture and balance, building strength and endurance, and teaching better work and health practices are some of the ways physical therapists can help improve your life.

Physical therapists know how the musculoskeletal system works; yet recognize that each individual is unique. They can determine an individual’s level of fitness and suggest the types of exercises and activities-including both sports and daily life activities-that are right for him or her.

Physical therapy is the use of physical means, such as exercise, heat or cold, to treat disease or injuries.

Am I a good candidate for physical therapy?
Tired of masking your pain with medication instead of identifying and treating the source of your problem? Is pain or immobility preventing you from leading an active lifestyle? Whether it’s climbing a set of stairs or giving a hundred percent at work or with sports, physical therapy may be your solution.

At North Hagerstown Rehabilitation we perform a comprehensive evaluation and develop a treatment program designed to resolve the source of your problem. We emphasize individualized care and respect both your time and your privacy.

How soon can I start physical therapy?
Why wait 2-3 weeks for physical therapy services to begin? We strive to see new patients within 48 hours and can often see you the same day.

How do I request Physical Therapy?
Ask your Physician for a physical therapy referral to evaluate and treat your condition. In the State of Maryland a licensed physical therapist can evaluate and treat your condition without a referral but some insurance companies still require a physician’s referral in order for your physical therapy services to be reimbursed. Medicare requires a physician’s referral for physical therapy services.

Can I choose where I want to go for Physical Therapy?
Physical therapy services should be chosen based upon quality, professionalism and the skill of the practitioners providing the service. It should also be chosen by the location that is convenient for the patient and based on timely access to the physical therapy clinic. However, for most people the issue is whether the physical therapy clinic is a provider for their health insurance plan. North Hagerstown Rehabilitation is a provider for most major insurance plans.
Patients should check with their insurance carrier to find out which facilities are providers for their particular insurance plan, how many visits they can attend, whether a physician’s referral is needed and whether there is a deductible or co pay due. As a courtesy to our patients we will confirm this information for you and usually before your first visit.

What is Referral for Profit?
Physician-Owned Physical Therapy Services (POPTS) There are clinics in the community that are owned by physicians. This creates a possible “conflict of interest” in the referral process. Most physicians are good about following the established guidelines with Maryland Healthcare Law and with Medicare law and offer a choice for where you receive your physical therapy services. We do have a problem with physicians that are engaging in strict self referral. In other words a physician sends a patient to his own physical therapy clinic without giving the patient a choice. In this situation no professional service is being provided by writing on the referral pad but the physician is receiving financial reward. In addition the patients’ rights are being violated by not being provided the option to choose the facility that best meets their needs.

When a physician refers you to his own physical therapy clinic one should question who’s best interest they have in mind.

Hospital System
Another situation that a patient may encounter is when they are referred to a specialist within the same institution without being provided a choice. Some examples include:

  • A physician group that is owned by the hospital system refers to the hospital systems physical therapy clinic
  • After a hospitalization a patient is referred to an out patient clinic owned by the hospital system.
  • After a hospitalization a patient is referred to home physical therapy and the services are provided by the hospital systems home health care.
  • After completing home therapy with the hospitals home health staff the patient is referred to the hospital owned physical therapy outpatient clinic.
  • In each of these situations the patient is referred from a hospital employee to a hospital owned clinic. While this practice is not illegal, there are exceptions to the law that allow them to do this, the practice of the hospital system referring to it’s own services may not be in the patient’s best interest. Again when the patient is not provided a choice the referral may not be made with the patient’s best interest in mind. Furthermore, under Medicare Law physicians are required to provide the patient with a well informed choice. There may be a clinic in the same neighborhood as the patient’s residence that could provide comparable care with the added convenience of location.

You always have the right to choose the physical therapy service you believe to be the most beneficial to help your condition.

Remember, it’s your choice where you receive your physical therapy services. Even Medicare law REQUIRES that patients are fully informed of their choices.

North Hagerstown Rehabilitation
580 Northern Avenue
Hagerstown, Maryland 21742
301-745-8915
Brunswick Physical Therapy
Brunswick Shopping Center, Suite 50
Brunswick, Maryland 21716
301-834-6898