The New York Physical Therapy Association (NYPTA) is calling on the state legislature to end the unfair practice of so-called “specialty” co-pays, which are costing patients in dollars and foregone treatment and physical therapists in lost patients and jobs, leaving New York State with a more costly and less effective health care system.

Managed care companies continue to restrict access to physical therapy services by imposing ‘specialty’ co-payments of $40 or more per visit, when the insurance benefit that the patient pays for is the same or only a few dollars above that amount.

Managed care health insurers have designated physical therapists as specialists for co-payment purposes, allowing health plans to charge patients more per visit while maintaining reimbursement levels to physical therapists, thus shifting more of the cost burden onto the backs of consumers.

These specialty co-payments add up for New Yorkers, since physical therapy frequently requires multiple visits over an extended period of time as the practice of physical therapy works in conjunction with the healing process.

Health Plans call these specialty co-pays, we call them unfair.

That is why NYPTA is asking members of the State Legislature to support S.4321 sponsored by Senator Breslin and A.8171 sponsored by Assemblyman Cahill to end the imposition of additional co-pays on New Yorkers for physical therapy services on the basis of provider or setting.

Please click here and fill out this form if you are interested in learning more about what you can do about the high co-pay issue.

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