The Medicare Taxonomy for Physical Therapists

I am not a doctor.

I don't even play one on T.V.

I don't have a Ph.D.

I don't have a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT).

I'm a physical therapist (PT).

That's it.

And, I present material in this blog that some people may associate with post-graduate instruction, legal advice or consulting on Medicare compliance.

That would be a mistake.

All I do is treat patients with physical therapy, write my notes and try to understand our nation's Medicare program as it applies to outpatient physical therapy services.

To help the process of Medicare compliance I created my alternate website, Bulletproof Physical Therapy Notes and Charts with free government and professional resources on making a do-it-yourself Medicare compliance program.

Isn't that the way most physical therapists are?

Resourceful?

Ultimately, I intend to create a taxonomy that students and non-professionals can use to understand the work we physical therapists do for our Medicare patients.

It's crazy that I can describe Medicare with taxonomy, a word originally used to describe the complexity of living organisms.

Now, Medicare compliance is completely the jurisdiction of "Medicare auditors"

• un-elected


• un-licensed (as auditors)


• non-peer reviewed

..."experts" that get paid to look at your notes.

Don't get me wrong - everybody deserves a chance to make a living - even Medicare auditors.

The $3 billion Medicare program needs auditors - to catch the bad guys.

That $3 billion attracts a lot of bad guys.

But, physical therapists usually aren't bad guys (or girls).

What physical therapists need is a simpler, less intimidating process to...

• document our findings
  
• show medical necessity
  
• show progress
  
• show skilled decisions
  
• help patients without taking ridiculous risks
  

Am I the only one who thinks this way?