Future of PT Symposium

APTAMD Asked – What are Key Concerns Impacting Physical Therapy Practice in Maryland

Independent outpatient physical therapy practices across Maryland are experiencing significant financial strain due to rising operational costs, stagnant reimbursement rates, and increasing administrative burdens. Several community-based practices in Howard County alone have closed in recent years, threatening patient access to local rehabilitation services.

Independent private practices are increasingly challenged to compete with large corporate, physician-owned, and hospital-based therapy systems that often have greater administrative and financial resources.

Excessive prior authorization requirements, particularly within Medicare Advantage plans, are creating substantial delays in medically necessary care while increasing administrative costs for providers and practices.

Providers continue to experience excessive claim denials, delayed payments, and prolonged reimbursement processing, creating instability for community-based healthcare providers.

Insurance reimbursement rates for physical therapy services have remained largely unchanged for many years despite rising workforce, operational, and healthcare delivery costs.

Excessive hold times, communication failures, and difficulty obtaining timely assistance from insurers regarding claims, reimbursement, credentialing, and benefit verification, often requiring hours of staff time away from patient care.

Incomplete and inaccurate payer portals frequently fail to provide clear authorization requirements or accurate benefit information, forcing providers to spend significant time contacting insurers simply to avoid preventable claim denials.

Greater insurer accountability, improved transparency, and modernization of payer communication systems are needed to reduce administrative burden, improve timely access to care, and preserve the sustainability of independent rehabilitation providers.