The State of the AIPT Address: December 2005

By: Susan Fish, PT, Corresponding Secretary, AIPT-NYPTA

To: All Members and potential members of the Alliance of Independent Physical Therapists of the New York Chapter of the APTA

From: AIPT-NYPTA Officers

We’ve had a busy and productive year. There have been many highlights and continued frustrations but we have really just begun!!

Since our last summary a year ago we have changed our name to the Alliance of Independent Physical Therapists (AIPT of the NYPTA). We have continued to meet every other month in New York City with each meeting bringing more and more members into our group. In addition, our co-chairs Lori Monson and Gary Willner led meetings on Long Island and in Albany at the time of the Delegate Assembly to reach out to private practitioners throughout the state. We now have AIPT Liaisons to each District so we can better serve the local concerns of private practices throughout the state.

We have succeeded in letting managed care companies know that we’re not sitting back and letting our patients be given anything but the best quality of care.

Several meetings were held with Oxford, UnitedHealthcare, Empire BCBS, and Orthonet and ACN regarding authorization procedures, quality of care, and reimbursement. The Council of Licensed Physiotherapists of New York coordinated efforts with the AIPT on all these meetings. The APTA and NYPTA reimbursement committees are helping with information we need. We made postcards available to patients who wished to voice their complaints to these insurers. WNYC (NPR) radio produced a 3-part investigative report on Orthonet’s use of “80% of Normal” Discharge Criteria. Several AIPT members assisted with interviews and information for this program..

We have seen some ease in OrthoNet’s procedures –improved turn-around time of authorizations, response letters, calls from case managers before denying authorization.

When EmpireBCBS suddenly changed their authorization procedures in March, we were successful in getting them to communicate with us in a more professional and concise manner to clear up the confusion they created for our office staff.

We now have a contact at the NY State Insurance Department and have been advised on how to handle delayed authorizations through the appeal process. We are communicating with the Attorney General’s office regularly, and that office is investigating some of out complaints. Complaints sent to the Attorney General’s office or the State Insurance Department by individual members are now on record and we do make a difference!

We hired a PR consultant with NYPTA funding who has terrific media connections. This will be a major focus in the next year and we want your input and ideas as to best get our message out to the public, media and payers.

One of our original goals was to serve as a help and support to each other during this difficult time for private practitioners. For those of you who were fortunate to be at or listen to the most recent meeting on September 28, you know we are succeeding!! This meeting was in two parts. During the first hour representatives of BCBS and GHI who administer the Medicare program in Manhattan and Queens respectively spoke to us about reimbursement, documentation and other Medicare issues as it relates to physical therapy. During the second part, five of our members presented their coping techniques. It was a dream come true to hear colleagues being totally candid about how they run their practices. Whether a sole practitioner or a multi-center facility, we heard openness, sharing and support for each other and for all of us.

Again, we feel that we’re just beginning and have a lot yet to do. We’ve made a good start but are at the crossroads now. We are moving forward with our PR programs, meetings with legislators, and continued Attorney General involvement. We will continue to develop practice management support. This will take your ideas, statistics, patient case studies, and of course money.

The cost to join is quite small - and only $100.00 a year from each private practitioner can go a long way. Because of our cooperative efforts with the Council of Licensed Physiotherapists of New York, Inc, there is a 25 % discount on dues to AIPT members who also belong to the Council.

Please join us. A membership application and more information is available on the NYPTA website under “members” menu. Our meetings are open to any NYPTA member.

Thank you all for helping to make this an extraordinary year for the AIPT-NYPTA.