You’ve been experiencing the same pain for months. It is becoming more consistent and has made basic daily tasks difficult to complete.

You are confident physical therapy can help you find some relief but your tight budget and mediocre health insurance stand in your way.

How much does physical therapy cost with insurance and out-of-pocket? Can you afford it?

This guide goes in-depth about the cost of physical therapy to help show you how to get the relief you need if you’re:

• Covered by health insurance; or 
• Paying for sessions on your own.

Table of Contents

• How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost? 
• How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost WIth Insurance? 
• How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost Without Insurance? 
• Do Physical Therapists Offer Discounts to Customers Who Don’t Use Insurance?
• Are Payment Plans An Option? 
• Does In-Home Therapy Cost More Than Physical Therapy Appointments at a Clinic?
• Physical Therapy Costs vs. Surgery Costs
• Seeing Your Physical Therapist FIRST Could Cut Costs
• Looking For a Physical Therapy Office That Provides Quality Care and Affordable Pricing? In Motion O.C. Is Rated The #1 Physical Therapist in the Nation

How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost

To understand the costs of physical therapy, you should know exactly what goes into a physical therapy session.

Typically, a physical therapy session has three components:

1. The assessment and examination
2. Diagnosis
3. Implementing a treatment plan

The length of the session and the work that goes into each one are factors that determine the price of physical therapy.

But, the overall cost will vary from patient to patient depending on the:

• Ailment
• Treatment plan; and 
• How many sessions might be required for proper healing.

So, does insurance cover physical therapy?

Yes, many insurances do cover physical therapy sessions.

Whether you’re planning to use your insurance or pay for physical therapy out-of-pocket will factor into the price that you pay for each session.

How much does physical therapy cost for patients covered by insurance?

On average, a copay of $10-$75 is charged for physical therapy.

For patients not covered by health insurance or choosing to pay out-of-pocket, they can expect to pay anywhere from $50-$350 or more per session.

To better understand and estimate the cost of a physical therapy session, consider what you might expect from your physical therapy treatment and the different factors that might change your cost, including:

• Your ailment
• The specific treatment needed
• Your physical location
• How many appointments you need
• Any consultation fees
• And more

You can contact In Motion O.C. for a free consultation with an expert physical therapist to help determine your diagnosis and physical therapy treatment plan before moving forward with any sessions.

How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost With Insurance?

You’ve been experiencing consistent shoulder pain and want to seek the help of an expert physical therapist to help get some relief.

You have health insurance and are wondering, “Does insurance cover physical therapy?”

The short answer is yes.

Of course, your specific insurance might only be accepted by certain providers.

Generally, though, patients with health insurance pay somewhere between a $10-$75 copay for physical therapy each session.

It is common for physical therapy providers, including In Motion O.C., to accept:

• Preferred Provider Organization Plans (PPO)
• Exclusive Provider Organization Plans (EPO)
• Point of Service Plans (POS)

However, almost no physical therapy clinics accept Health Maintenance Organization plans (HMO) because these plans do not reimburse physical therapists enough to cover services.

If you have health insurance and are looking for physical therapy services, all you have to do is:

1. Find a clinic that accepts your health insurance.
2. Contact them to make an appointment
3. Show up on appointment day.
4. Pay your copay.
5. Find healing and relief from your pain.

Luckily, you don’t have to worry about going to your primary care doctor and getting a referral before you start.

Under the Direct Access Advocacy, there is no need to obtain a physician’s referral to access physical therapist services.

At In Motion O.C., we accept a variety of health insurance plans and we aim to be an affordable option for those patients who are not covered by health insurance.

Click here to schedule a free consultation with one of our expert physical therapists.

How Much Does Physical Therapy Cost Without Insurance?

If you don’t have health insurance, you might be wondering, “How much does physical therapy cost out-of-pocket?”

A few factors are considered when determining the price for your physical therapy sessions, including:

• Your specific ailment
• Your care plan
• The number of sessions you need

Generally, out-of-pocket costs for a single session of physical therapy can range from $75-$350. On average, the cost is around $150.

At some clinics, patients paying with cash might be able to negotiate rates.

Do Physical Therapists Offer Discounts to Customers who Don’t Use Insurance?

Physical therapists understand that not all patients have health insurance, so some clinics may offer discounted prices or packages for these customers.

This will vary depending on which physical therapy office you are pursuing.

Some clinics might offer discounts for:

• Paying in cash
• Paying the same day that services are provided
• Purchasing a package of sessions

At In Motion O.C.’s premier facility, we offer discounted packages for our patients that range between $65-83 per session.

Are Payment Plans an Option?

Most physical therapy clinics offer payment plan options, especially for customers who are paying out-of-pocket.

Of course, this is clinic-dependent, so be sure to ask about payment plans if the cost of physical therapy is a concern.

In Motion O.C. offers payment plans and hardship discounts because we want all potential patients to be able to afford our services.

Click here for a free consultation to discuss all of your options.

Does In-Home Therapy Cost More Than Physical Therapy Appointments at a Clinic?

Sometimes patients do not have the option to receive physical therapy treatment in-home instead of visiting a clinic due to:

1. The type of care they need; and
2. The equipment they must have access to.

But for those you can be treated at home, is it more cost-efficient to go this route?

Although you are saving money on gas and avoiding no-show fees at a clinic, receiving in-home physical therapy appointments is not necessarily cheaper than going to a clinic.

In fact, it sometimes costs more.

You can have in-home physical therapy covered by your insurance provider depending on your specific circumstances and still only pay the average $10-$75 copay.

Without insurance, an in-home visit can still cost you upwards of $350 per session.

Physical Therapy Costs vs. Surgery Costs

George has always been an athlete and has experienced many…

• Aches
• Pains; and 
• Tears

… from his days of playing sports.

Most recently, the inflammation around George’s knee has been causing him daily pain and he’s afraid the only cure might be surgery.

Instead of opting for surgery right away, George wants to try to get his pain under control and strengthen the muscles surrounding his knee to train them to support him while he runs and plays sports.

He knows that the benefits of physical therapy (including the cost) are worth avoiding a possible surgery in the future if his knee pain becomes something more serious.

For George, physical therapy is likely his best option. But for other ailments, surgery could be the cheaper route.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) claims that for many ailments, physical therapy is cheaper both short-term and long-term than having surgery.

A BMC Health Services Research study showed that for an ailment like lower back pain, costs can be reduced up to 60% when the patient sees a physical therapist.

Whether your physical therapy is covered by insurance or not, it is likely worth a shot to pursue this route.

It can be an affordable way to teach you how to rehab your ailments and prevent further injury before settling on a surgery that might:

• Be more expensive; and 
• Require more treatments post-surgery.

Seeing Your Physical Therapist First Could Cut Costs

Studies have shown that attempting to rehab ailments through physical therapy first could save you money in the long-run.

A 2015 Health Services Research study determined that the average cost of care for a patient who receives diagnostic imaging (like an MRI) first before eventually being sent to a physical therapist is $4,793 more than if the patient went straight to physical therapy first.

For example, if you’re experiencing chronic shoulder pain that makes it difficult to complete daily tasks, you could:

1. Head to your primary care doctor who will probably send you to get diagnostic images. If surgery is not needed, you will probably be prescribed medication to help with the pain and you might be told to eventually see a physical therapist. 

Whether you have health insurance or not, you are paying costs:

• • To see your primary care doctor
  • To get your images
  • To fill the prescription for your medication
  • And for your physical therapy session(s)

These visits and costs can quickly add up.

      2. Go straight to a physical therapist and avoid all of the extra doctor’s visits and charges.

Looking For a Physical Therapy Office That Provides Quality Care and Affordable Pricing? In Motion O.C. Is Rated the #1 Physical Therapist in the Nation

It can be difficult to know who to trust when it comes to your wellness, so finding a physical therapy office that is committed to its patients and provides quality care can seem like an impossible task.

In Motion O.C. is rated the #1 physical therapist in the nation and aims to provide the best possible care to our patients.

Our talented team of professionals is equipped with the…

• Knowledge
• Skillset; and 
• Equipment

… necessary to bring you comfort and healing in your physical therapy journey.

To see how we can help you heal, contact In Motion O.C. for a free consultation.