These are our latest blog articles about Practice Management, Billing Practices, and Marketing Strategies. Learn More About Occupational Therapy Management, Physical Therapy Management, and How to Run Your Practice More Efficiently.
How Birthday Emails Improve Patient Loyalty for Physical Therapists
Nowadays, standing out in physical therapy is about more than just providing excellent care; it’s about building meaningful connections with your patients. One often overlooked but powerful tool for enhancing these relationships is birthday emails in physical therapy. These messages are more than just friendly; they are opportunities to engage your…
How UnitedHealthcare’s Prior Authorization Is Hurting Therapy Practices and Patients
On September 1st, 2024, UnitedHealthcare (UHC) introduced new prior authorization requirements for outpatient physical, occupational, and speech therapy services under its Medicare Advantage plans nationally. These changes took many providers by surprise, with therapists and patient advocates reporting widespread confusion and frustration due to UHC’s poor communication and problematic rollout.…
Habilitative vs. Rehabilitative Care: What Therapists Need to Know
When it comes to therapy, understanding the differences between habilitative and rehabilitative care is crucial. Both approaches serve distinct purposes and cater to different patient needs. This article will explore these differences, how they relate to your practice, and how an EMR system can support both types of care. 1.…
How EMR Systems Improve Patient Engagement in Therapy
Patient engagement is key to achieving positive outcomes in therapy. When patients are more involved in their care, they are more likely to follow through with treatment, stay motivated, and achieve better results. Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems provide a variety of tools that improve how therapists engage with their…
Why EMRs Beat Patient Management Software for Therapy Practices
In my practice, I’ve seen how the right technology can really help or hurt daily operations. At first, I used patient management software to handle basic tasks like scheduling, billing, and sending appointment reminders. It was helpful when I was just starting. But soon, I realized that managing patient care is…
The Therapist’s Guide to Avoiding Modifier Mistakes and Reducing Claim Denials
Therapy claim denials due to CPT code errors can be a major financial setback for any physical therapy practice. These denials disrupt cash flow, increase administrative burden, and delay patient care. One of the most effective, yet often-overlooked, strategies to avoid these denials is the correct application of essential modifiers.…
Reduce Therapy Claim Denials by Avoiding Common CPT Code Mistakes
Dealing with claim denials is a struggle no therapy practice wants to face, but it’s a reality for many. Whether you’re providing physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language services, coding errors can lead to costly denials that impact your practice’s bottom line. These denials not only cause delays in reimbursement…
Adapting to UnitedHealthcare Clinical Submission Requirements 2024
What Therapists Need to Know About the Optum Patient Summary Form (PSF) With the upcoming changes to UnitedHealthcare clinical submission requirements and AARP Medicare Advantage therapy update, starting September 1, 2024, our workflow as therapists will undergo significant adjustments. For certain [Medicare Advantage therapy updates 2024 enrollees, we will be…
Strengthen Your EMR Security: 15 Ways Therapists Can Prevent Phishing Attacks
Phishing scams are on the rise, and it’s crucial that we take steps to protect our practices. As technology improves, scammers also up their game and sometimes even the seemingly harmless email can get the best of us. These scams can lead to data breaches, financial losses, and even damage…
Safeguard Your Practice by Avoiding Hidden Risks of Unreliable EMRs
Disruptions in service can severely affect patient care and appointment scheduling. My practice once faced multiple disruptions due to unreliable EMR software, leading to lost patient data and frustrated clients. To avoid this, choose an EMR provider with a strong uptime guarantee. This ensures minimal disruptions to your workflow.
Mastering Re-Evaluations & Progress Visits in PT Documentation
Keeping up with patient records and documentation can be a time-consuming task. As a physical therapist (PT), you understand the importance of meticulous documentation. But differentiating between re-evaluations and progress visits can be a murky area for both you and your patients. A clear understanding is crucial, not just for…
Discover 6 Unmatched Benefits of EMRs for Your Therapy Practice
Starting your own therapy business is exciting, but it comes with challenges. One tool that can help is Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). If you are in the field of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy, you may want to check out “Top 6 Advantages Of Using An EMR Software…
Caregiver Training Essentials: A Guide to Billing and Education
Starting a career in caregiving comes with the responsibility of not only assisting patients but also providing support and guidance to their caregivers. Understanding and effectively utilizing caregiver training codes is fundamental to ensuring proper care while maintaining compliance for billing. This guide aims to illuminate the path for beginners…
A Workflow for Therapy Practice Management when Starting your own Therapy Practice
Therapists juggle numerous responsibilities daily, from delivering quality care to managing administrative tasks. Navigating these demands efficiently can significantly impact patient outcomes. This guide aims to assist therapists in optimizing their practice management processes, allowing them to dedicate more time to patient care. Exploring Efficient Management Tools Efficiency in therapy…
Understanding the Difference Between EMRs and EHRs, and How They Are Bridging the Gap in Healthcare Technology
In today’s healthcare, Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are changing the way we care for patients. Let’s explore what makes them different and how they help doctors take better care of us. Understanding EMRs: What They Do EMRs are like digital files of your health history…
How to Increase Referrals For Your Therapy Practice
There are a number of ways to increase the number of patients you see in your clinic. You could do paid activities such as advertisements in social media, radio, or online news media. Or you could try your hand at organic, free ways to increase your clinics revenue. In this…
How Often do CPT Codes Change for Pediatric Occupational Therapy?
As occupational therapists, your focus should be on your clients, especially the little ones. You’ve got busy practice and people who rely on you, and your documentation has to be up-to-date and compliant, especially when CPT code changes happen. At HelloNote, we want you to be armed with the info…
What’s the Difference Between EMR and EHR Software?
Having your practice up to date on the ever-evolving technological advancements in medicine, you’ve probably heard “EHR” (Electronic Health Record) and “EMR ” (Electronic Medical Record) about electronic charting options, sometimes interchangeably. These are two types of record-keeping systems with different benefits and uses as they relate to your practice.…
What Are The Three Most Common CPT Codes For Physical Therapy And Occupational Therapy?
Navigating the maze of medical codes can be a complex challenge for anyone in the healthcare industry, but for physical and occupational therapists, it’s a critical aspect of practice management. Understanding the appropriate Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes is crucial for accurate billing and ensuring the sustainability of your practice.…
7 Must-Have EMR Tools for the Modern Speech-Language Pathologist
As a speech-language pathologist (SLP), your days are often filled with word-free communication. Initial therapy visits usually begin with simple cues, like smiling, pointing, and nodding. The hope is that your patient will progress to saying simple one-word responses. After months of therapy, the patient’s vocabulary may increase to hundreds…
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips To Take Your Therapy Practice To 10K a Month
SEO or search engine optimization is great way to help you get more patients for free, using the improved ranking and visibility of your website. In this article, we’ll give you the 10 most important SEO check points you should do to get your webpages to show up front and…
10 Common CPT Codes for Pediatric Occupational Therapy
Do you have a love-hate relationship with coding? Knowing which code to choose can be confusing. But payment depends on effectively using the American Medical Association’s (AMA) coding system. Current procedural terminology (CPT) is the language healthcare providers use to get reimbursements. Medical codes are standardized reports that describe services…
10 Features Every PT, OT, and ST Needs in Their EMR
Therapists need resources that help them become maximally effective. Tools that reduce the administrative burden promote productivity. Software that streamlines documentation demands enhances patient care. Management systems that don’t break the bank improve revenue return. Yet, finding management software that integrates with medical records is challenging. Here are ten features…
SEO Tips to take your Therapy Practice to the Next Level
SEO or search engine optimization is great way to help you get more patients for free, using the improved ranking and visibility of your website. In this article, we’ll give you the 10 most important SEO check points you should do to get your webpages to show up front and…
3 New Income Ideas For Your Pediatric Therapy Practice
Whether you are a speech therapy, occupational therapy or physical therapy pediatric practice – these 5 new income ideas could be the perfect idea to help grow your therapy business! Idea 1: Kids Camps In the summer, parents are desperate to find new activities for their little ones – and…
How to Use Equipment Recommendations To Add Extra Income To Your Practice
Massagers, walkers, cushions, foam rollers, putty are just some common items that each day you either order or recommend to patients. And likely, your patients are often asking you for all sorts of recommendations on products. In this article, we’ll give you several tips on how to appropriately add extra…
The Ultimate Cash Based Sales Script For PT, OT and SLP Practices
The scariest part of starting a therapy private practice, is selling yourself. We’ve spent our careers using insurance either as employees or practice owners, but what if we wanted to pivot to cash pay – what will patients say? In this guide, we’ll walk you through the conversation you’ll have…
Case Study: Using HelloNote To Scale To 150 Visits Per Week With GeriHab Physical Therapy and Wellness
GeriHab Physical Therapy and Wellness has grown to provide between 100-150 therapy visits per week within the span of just a few years. How did this small company become a dominant presence in Tennessee for delivering geraitric outpatient and home health? The answer is simple: hustle, technology and systems. How…
How to Market Your PT, OT or SLP Practice To Doctors
There are many different referral sources you can set up to grow your therapy practice, including connecting with physicians. In this article, we’ll discuss how to market your services to physicians in a way that will set you up for success! Why Market To Physicians and other medical providers: Marketing…
How to Add Virtual Reality Services to your Cash or Insurance Based Practice
Bringing in new technology can be a great way to differentiate your practice, add new patients, and subsequently improve patient outcomes and revenue. In today’s article, we are going over how to add virtual reality into your practice and why this could be a novel approach to helping grow your…
Guide to Starting Your Own Private Outpatient Practice
Have you been looking into starting your own physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy outpatient practice? If so, then this article will cover all your questions, including: How to create a business plan How to pick your therapy business name, entity, and logo Who will you treat and what…
Get Noticed! How to Set Up a Google Business Profile for Your Clinic
Healthcare is a highly personal industry where success depends on trust, integrity, and top quality clinical care. Having an online presence is a great way to build credibility. Research shows 76% of consumers look at a business’s online presence before visiting in person. So it’s important for potential clients to…
How Does a Medical Billing Software Work?
How Does a Medical Billing Software Work? When it comes to the medical industry, there are a lot of moving parts. From doctors and nurses to insurance companies and patients, it can be difficult to keep track of everything. That’s where medical billing software comes in. This medical billing solution…
How to Select a Practice Management Software?
If you are a healthcare professional, then you know that finding the right medical practice management software is essential to your success. There are many different options available, and it can be difficult to decide which one is right for you. In this blog post, we will discuss the key…
Superbills: What Are They and How Do You Create One?
Regardless of the type of therapy practice you own, at some point a patient will ask you to generate a bill for them. Of course, if they just want a receipt for their personal records then you can give them an invoice with the services rendered and the cost. However,…
Building a Front Office Team for Your Practice
When hiring for your front office team, it’s simple…you want the best. The individuals in your front office can make or break how successful your clinic is. After all, they are responsible for leaving a great first impression with patient’s, making sure your schedule is full, starting the billing cycle…
What is Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) and How It Can Improve Your Private Practice Profits
In 2022, Medicare added 5 new CPT codes (98975, 98976, 98977, 98980, 98981) for remote therapeutic monitoring (RMT). Although insurance changes are often never a good thing – in this case if done right, this change could actually help your clinic. In this article, we’ll address what are the new…
HIPAA Compliance: How to Ensure Your Therapy Practice is HIPAA Compliant
Making sure you are following all the rules and regulations regarding HIPAA compliance as a new therapy practice owner can be stressful and confusing! In this article, we’ll go over the main policies of HIPAA compliance and the tools you can use to make sure you maintain HIPAA regulations within…
How To Start Your Own Podcast
Are you a therapist or assistant looking to start a podcast? Starting a podcast can have many benefits, including: reaching patients on a global scale, creating a name for yourself as an expert in your field, and it is a very inexpensive way to advertise your clinic! In this article,…
How to Add More Occupational Therapy Niches to Your Practice
There is a common saying, “the niches are in the riches”. And this is no exception in the occupational therapy profession. You as an OT, COTA, or OTA have a lot of knowledge, which can translate into so many different niches, or categories of expertise. In this article, we’ll highlight…
No Surprises Act – How does It Affect Your Therapy Practice
As a therapy clinic owner, navigating the ever changing rules and regulations of CMS can be daunting. In this article, we hope to make at least one new rule, the No Surprises Act, less confusing for you so that you can focus on running your therapy practice in confidence. What…
Top 5 Ways to Obtain Patient Reviews and Testimonials
If you’re a private practice owner, then you likely know that there are many ways to attract new patients and grow your practice. From online marketing to in person events, the list goes on. However, there is one option that you may not consider as often, but is actually one…
How to Improve Home Exercise Adherence in Your Clinic
As therapists, we know that the one thing patients struggle with is…completing their home exercise program (HEP). In fact, research shows that for those with musculoskeletal conditions, non-adherence to a home exercise program has been shown to be as high as 50-65%. Why is this number so high? There are…
7 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) You Should Be Tracking in Your Therapy Practice
Whether you have just started your own private practice or you are considering it, one of the most important things you must consider is how you are going to measure the health of your business. As therapists, we absolutely love those objective measurements, but what does that mean from a…
Deciding on Accepting Insurance vs. Being Cash-Based. Which is Right for your Clinic?
As a clinic owner you have to make the decision as to whether or not you will accept healthcare insurance or if you want your services to be cash-based, meaning the patient pays on their own, a set rate for each session. There are pros and cons to accepting both…
5 Marketing Techniques for Outpatient Therapy Clinics
Whether you are a first time clinic owner or a veteran clinic owner, marketing can truly help to either make or break your clinic! Marketing, both online and offline, is what spreads the word and brings new referrals into your clinic. New referrals means new patients and continued new business…
Reports You Should Be Running to Have a Successful Clinic
Similar to any other business, running a successful physical therapy clinic requires you to track specific weekly, monthly, and annually to determine what is working and what needs to be changed. We don’t know about you, but we certainly weren’t taught much about business in our therapy program, and we…
How to Determine Private Pay Therapy Cash Rates in Your Area
How to Determine Private Pay Therapy Cash Rates in Your Area In today’s day and age, it seems like many clinicians’ who are opening their own therapy practices are deciding to open cash-based clinics. One of the biggest reasons for this is that oftentimes with third-party insurances there are limits…
Medicare 8-Minute Rule WITH Examples
Medicare 8-Minute Rule WITH Examples In the therapy world, treatment sessions are measured and reimbursed based on the amount of time spent performing a single intervention, something also known as billable units. Depending on what setting you are practicing in, you most likely have encountered patients with Medicare insurance. In…
9 Tips for Defensible Documentation
If you’ve ever asked a therapist what their least favorite part of the job is, more often than not you’ll hear, without hesitation, “documentation”. If you are a therapist, then you’re probably shaking your head and saying to yourself “yes, absolutely”. Unfortunately, as we all know, documentation is one of…
Co-Treatment vs Duplication of Services, What’s the Difference?
If you work in a setting that offers multiple types of therapy, such as a skilled nursing facility (SNF) or inpatient/acute rehabilitation unit, you have probably, or eventually will encounter something called co-treatment. So what exactly is co-treatment and how does it impact you as a therapist? According to Medicare,…
ICD-10 M54.5 Phased Out as of October 1, 2021
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), there will be an update to the ICD-10 manual, likely affecting many therapists. Every October, there are changes made to the ICD-10 manual, which include replacement, removal, and addition of codes. The change this October 1st, will affect a common…
Is Maintenance Therapy Reimbursable?
For many, many years, there has been this long standing myth in the therapy world that in order for Medicare to reimburse for skilled therapy services, you must show patient improvement. Essentially, it has been thought that maintenance therapy is not reimbursable because as a therapist, you cannot show improvement…
Importance of Payment Tracking and Billing Reconciliation for Healthcare Practices
Owning a healthcare business presents a lot of challenges in itself…not only are you a physical therapist, but you also have to know a thing or two about running a business to ensure you are meeting your financial goals, on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. With that being said,…
Therapeutic Exercise vs Therapeutic Activity – Appropriate Use & Documentation of Therapeutic Activities (97530)
Let’s face it…billing is by far one of the toughest and potentially confusing parts of our jobs as therapists. Choosing the appropriate CPT code to bill to ensure your clinic receives the correct reimbursement from insurance, can be extremely stressful and time consuming, especially if you aren’t sure of the…
Top 6 Advantages of Using an EMR Software in Your Therapy Practice
If you are considering opening up a physical, occupational or speech therapy practice, regardless of the setting, one of the most important components to grow and scale your practice is an EMR software. In the past, many clinics have relied on paper or manual records, but in this day and…
Techniques to Lower Your Clinics Cancellation Rate
In the therapy world, cancellations are inevitable, especially in outpatient physical therapy clinics. Cancellations can interrupt a patient’s treatment plan and lead to regression, if a patient is cancelling too often. There are several techniques that can be utilized, by both the therapist and the front desk, to help decrease…
Benefits of Using Appointment Reminders to Prevent Patient Cancellations
As healthcare professionals, particularly physical and occupational therapists, we have all been there: You just finished lunch and have prepared for your next patient, only to find out they called and cancelled while you were eating or better yet, your patient just does not show up. Not only are cancellations…
Top 5 Metrics In A Successful Rehab Clinic
Running a physical therapy clinic requires a lot of hard work and while you might be an awesome therapist, unless you are keeping track of business metrics and completing monthly, quarterly and annually reporting then your practice will not be successful. Since business, specifically reporting, is not something that many…
Must Have EMR features for an Outpatient Therapy Clinic
For those therapists who are considering starting or who have just started their own outpatient practice, one of the most important features of running a successful clinic is having a PT documentation software that stands out from the rest. However, with so many therapist notes software out there right now,…
The Importance of Having a Telehealth Feature in your PT EMR Software
In this day and age, the virtual world and online businesses are absolutely booming. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, if people have the option to stay home vs going out, many are choosing to stay home. For therapy practices, this has required a pivot in the way sessions…
Most Commonly Used Modifiers for PT, OT and SLP Services
We have officially arrived into 2021…woohoo, we made it! While a new year may have arrived, some things in the therapy world continue to remain the same. Most, if not all, therapists, whether physical, occupational, or even speech, have entered this career path to improve patients’ lives and make a…
Medicare Part A and Part B Deductibles for 2021
It seems as if therapy services are an ever evolving world, not only is there constantly new research and studies out there proving which exercises you should and should not be having patients perform, based on their injury or diagnosis, but it appears as if every time we turn around,…
Best Christmas Ideas for a PT Business
As Christmas and the end of the year quickly approaches, you may know someone who recently opened up their own PT business or you might be a patient who is looking for a good gift idea for the PT clinic you are going to. Here, at HelloNote, we wanted to…
The 7 Best Tax Deductions for Physical Therapy Business Owners
As December and the end of the year are quickly approaching, tax season is almost upon us! What does that mean? It means it is time to start collecting and preparing any expenses throughout the year that can be claimed as deductions for your physical therapy business. If taxes overwhelm…
Physical Therapy Medicare Billing Guidelines
As physical therapists, there are many aspects of our jobs that we truly enjoy, the main one being helping our patients return to their previous quality of life following an injury or issue. However, like many other jobs, not everything we do is as exciting or fun, but rather more…
4 Tips to Reduce Patient No-Shows in Your Physical Therapy Practice
If you own a physical therapy practice, there is a good chance you have experienced a patient or several patients who, at one time or another, have fallen into the dreaded “no-show” category, meaning the person did not show up to the appointment and he/she did not call to notify…
5 Tips to Keep Your Rehabilitation Business Afloat During a Recession
During the past several months, many therapy practices have been hit hard by COVID-19 and the recession, resulting in clinics nationwide shutting down and furloughing of employees due to a significant decline in caseload. At HelloNote, we wanted to help provide the following suggestions to help your healthcare practice to…
4 Easy Additional Revenue Streams To Add to Your Rehabilitation Practice
As a healthcare professional, you may be struggling to keep your clinic afloat- with declining reimbursement models and decreased patient visits to name a few, but fret not – here are 4 easy and quick revenue streams you can into your current physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy practice!…
I've been a believer for years. Through my first business, to my newest startup. HelloNote excels with their whole practice management solution. Their dedicated support and software is a must for those with any practice!
Dr. Krakanovski, DPT
Gezunt Physical Therapy
HelloNote completely transformed the way we do documentation. Not only from the platform perspective, but also from the practice management side. Our office is flowing much more efficiently now.
Ashley Kinsley OTR/L
Clinical Director at Wellness PT
An excellent piece of software. My documentation time has been cut in half! Notes are a breeze and I don't have to stay up late nights with piled up notes anymore. Seriously.