OT, but medical... need advice :-)
CRAZY!!!
I had carpal tunnel surgery in April on one hand and then again in May on the other. It was endoscopic and great... no complaints!
Part of my surgeons “plan" was one meeting with an OT to make sure you stay on track with your recovery... made sense to me.
I knew that they accepted my insurance, but that I would be held responsible for 35% of the claim... it was supposed to be an hour long session... the secretary couldn’t give me an exact price... it “all depends on insurance." I figured it couldn’t be much more than $200... when I had intense PT after knee surgery it was $224 for each hour long, very intense session.
Well... it ended up being a total joke... only 20 ish min long, she went over a hand out that had been copied so many times it was “pixely" and highlighted parts that pertained to me. Then she talked about “desensitizing the scar" and showed me a box of various house hold type balls and how I could use them... then she showed me how to massage it and do a “nerve glide" exercise, then she rubbed lotion on the scar area for maybe 5 min. Okay... maybe not a total joke, some good info, but not what I expected at all.
To top it off she had me and another lady at the same table and was activity working with both of us... the lady had somehow lost the tip of her finger... she had her doing excersizes, wrapped her finger and talked about what she should/could do with it at night etc.
I got the bill yesterday... just my patient portion is $145!!! This is INSANE to me! And that is AFTER my insurance paid out too! That’s like $5 a MINUTE!
I intend to talk with them tomorrow when I go for my follow up with my surgeon... they are in the same building...
Any advice?
I had carpal tunnel surgery in April on one hand and then again in May on the other. It was endoscopic and great... no complaints!
Part of my surgeons “plan" was one meeting with an OT to make sure you stay on track with your recovery... made sense to me.
I knew that they accepted my insurance, but that I would be held responsible for 35% of the claim... it was supposed to be an hour long session... the secretary couldn’t give me an exact price... it “all depends on insurance." I figured it couldn’t be much more than $200... when I had intense PT after knee surgery it was $224 for each hour long, very intense session.
Well... it ended up being a total joke... only 20 ish min long, she went over a hand out that had been copied so many times it was “pixely" and highlighted parts that pertained to me. Then she talked about “desensitizing the scar" and showed me a box of various house hold type balls and how I could use them... then she showed me how to massage it and do a “nerve glide" exercise, then she rubbed lotion on the scar area for maybe 5 min. Okay... maybe not a total joke, some good info, but not what I expected at all.
To top it off she had me and another lady at the same table and was activity working with both of us... the lady had somehow lost the tip of her finger... she had her doing excersizes, wrapped her finger and talked about what she should/could do with it at night etc.
I got the bill yesterday... just my patient portion is $145!!! This is INSANE to me! And that is AFTER my insurance paid out too! That’s like $5 a MINUTE!
I intend to talk with them tomorrow when I go for my follow up with my surgeon... they are in the same building...
Any advice?
well I work in PT, but work alongside OT's as well. If this was outpatient, then your insurance company really didn't cover a lot I assume. OT is a heck of a lot cheaper than PT, but it depends on who you go to to receive care and what your insurance will cover. Rehab is steadily becoming a very very expensive part of health care.
As a rehab professional, handouts are normal, and that is quite a normal routine for carpal tunnel. carpal tunnel truly isn't that serious compared to other illnesses that are treated. if you are still having pain, ask for some electrical stimulation around the site or some ultrasound
hand/wrist and elbow complications are very simple and easy to treat in my opinion. you may get bored with the treatment and may not seem like much of a treatment session, but there's only so much you can do with certain joints. but trust me it works! i have seen people quit OT or PT after one or two sessions thinking they will do things on their own, only to have them come back months later with severe pain, major scar tissue adhesions and decreased range of motion. i hope you have a healthy and speedy recovery, and get the logistics worked out with payment
As a rehab professional, handouts are normal, and that is quite a normal routine for carpal tunnel. carpal tunnel truly isn't that serious compared to other illnesses that are treated. if you are still having pain, ask for some electrical stimulation around the site or some ultrasound
hand/wrist and elbow complications are very simple and easy to treat in my opinion. you may get bored with the treatment and may not seem like much of a treatment session, but there's only so much you can do with certain joints. but trust me it works! i have seen people quit OT or PT after one or two sessions thinking they will do things on their own, only to have them come back months later with severe pain, major scar tissue adhesions and decreased range of motion. i hope you have a healthy and speedy recovery, and get the logistics worked out with payment
On May 19, 2011 at 8:23 PM Pacific Time, Crimson wrote:
well I work in PT, but work alongside OT's as well. If this was outpatient, then your insurance company really didn't cover a lot I assume. OT is a heck of a lot cheaper than PT, but it depends on who you go to to receive care and what your insurance will cover. Rehab is steadily becoming a very very expensive part of health care. As a rehab professional, handouts are normal, and that is quite a normal routine for carpal tunnel. carpal tunnel truly isn't that serious compared to other illnesses that are treated. if you are still having pain, ask for some electrical stimulation around the site or some ultrasound
hand/wrist and elbow complications are very simple and easy to treat in my opinion. you may get bored with the treatment and may not seem like much of a treatment session, but there's only so much you can do with certain joints. but trust me it works! i have seen people quit OT or PT after one or two sessions thinking they will do things on their own, only to have them come back months later with severe pain, major scar tissue adhesions and decreased range of motion. i hope you have a healthy and speedy recovery, and get the logistics worked out with payment
HW 258 SW 246.4 CW 166.8 GW 160
(reflects loss from all-time high weight in November 2009)
I'm not as worried about how much I have to pay as how much they thought it appropriate to charge in the first place! I am upset that when I directly asked how much it would be they evaded the question and I was too trusting not to pu**** If I had known that was the price point I would have chosen to go elsewhere, or not at all. Most surgeons don't even refer out for OT after a totally smooth complication free procedure...
sigh.
sigh.
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