174: Medicare & Cash PT w/ Dr Jarod Carter

As any medical professional will tell you, navigating the Medicare system is challenging.  Add to that a cash physical therapy business and things can get really confusing! To help get us through this sea of confusion that is Medicare, Dr. Jarod Carter has written a fabulous book entitled Medicare and Cash Pay Physical Therapy.  It is a comprehensive guide based on all he has learned from over five years of owning a cash-based clinic and many hours of working with different attorneys and authorities on this subject.  Dr. Carter has also been teaching about the private pay business model for a number of years and often consults for in-network practices participating with Medicare.  So this book is not only focused solely on the rules as they apply to cash-based practices.  It is written for any practice owner wondering how she/he can accept private payment for the variety of services a PT business may provide to beneficiaries.   

In this episode we talk about:

* Why Jarod decided to become a physical therapist

* Why and how he started his cash-based PT practice

* What is the difference between participating, non-participating, and no relationship w/ Medicare

* Can a PT opt out of Medicare

* What is an ABN and when is it necessary to use it vs. a private contract with your patients.

* Is there a "loophole" to see Medicare patients in a cash PT model

* And much more!

One thing to remember...if you have any questions about your practice and how it fits in to the Medicare system always contact a healthcare lawyer to help with your specific situation. 

Enjoy the podcast and thanks for listening!

Karen