Physician directed care cannot control costs under Medicare Accountable Care Organizations - that is the conclusion of a new report by Dr. Jane Pendergrast and presented by Dr. Pamela Duffy at the American Physical Therapy Association's State Payment and Policy Forum in Austin, Texas:
A Comparison of Health Care Use for Physician-Referred and Self-Referred Episodes of Outpatient Physical Therapy
The professional best able to control costs for physical therapy services is likely the physical therapist, in collaboration with the patient.
Physical therapists can, and should, use this report to advocate for direct access by educating their payers and their state legislators.
