FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you treat _____?

Yes: Whether you know exactly what your diagnosis or complaint entails, or you are just beginning, we are here for you. After intern training with the world’s best, our therapists continue to treat exclusively pelvic health conditions all day, every day. You are in understanding and knowledgeable hands.

There is treatment for this? Physical Therapy for my…?

Physical Therapists treat muscles, ligaments, nerves, soft tissue, scar, coordination, balance, proprioception, strength, and optimize performance. You get sent to PT for any other injury or surgery, so why not for this? When you think of the pelvic floor and surrounding structures, it is the same as any other area of the body, we just don’t talk about it as often (yet).

What can I expect from my first visit?

We take great care to make you feel comfortable. You can fill out intake forms online, and ask any questions before your appointment, visit the “Patient Portal” portion of this website.

Your first visit depends highly on your needs and where you are in your journey. Your story and history are the most valuable part of how to determine treatment. The exam that follows allows your therapist to check the areas that are important based on listening to what you are feeling and what you may have already tried.

You can expect an internal exam, but that may not always be the case. Your therapist will check the pelvic floor internally because that is the only way to get the most accurate knowledge of structure and function. Not all patients need or are ready for this, so we may use external techniques first. Please communicate your comfort level so we can provide the best care. It is extremely important that nothing is forced, or rushed by anyone involved in your care. You will never be asked to do something you are not comfortable with. Not every appointment requires internal work unless that is part of your program. You will be given additional information that is important to do at home. We will never simply watch you do exercises that you could do at home. In watching you do your exercises, we are checking for accuracy/form/pain/intensity, but then allow you to continue on your own until ready to modify and progress.

I’m having my period, should I cancel my appointment?

No. We want to avoid gaps in your care. However, if you are uncomfortable, we can make adjustments. If you are having increased pain, or difficulty relaxing, we can work in different ways. Take note that it may be valuable to see what your organ function is doing if your complaints involve painful menstruation. Have you ever made a doctor appointment only to say “well, I don’t hurt now.”?

I’ve tried everything. How can this be different?

At Well Being, our therapists have additional, extensive, and ongoing training in all pelvic health conditions.  This is all we do and what we really care about.  If we don’t have an answer right away, we will figure it out together. In general, pelvic Physical Therapists often act as case managers for your care. Your history is very important for us to know what has and hasn’t helped, and to find what hasn’t yet been considered. Sometimes combining treatments is effective, when treating one alone is not. Your therapist will evaluate all body systems and how they relate, including digestion, hormones, stress, behaviors, posture, habits, past medical issues, trauma, and everything you may or may not have thought of being related. If after thorough evaluation, we are not a good fit, you will be referred to the most appropriate provider. It is not uncommon refer to additional providers during your treatment as well. We have a list of experienced and understanding partners that help in overall care.  Some things take more time than others.  We encourage consistency and some dedication, but we are here for your every step of the way.  

Do you take my insurance?

This is a complicated question.  This is a long answer, and we can talk further at your visits if you like. The short answer is no.  We ask for payment at time of service.

After deliberate consideration, we have chosen not to contract with insurance companies.  That means we are “out-of-network”. This allows your therapist to work for YOU, without having to follow only what the insurance company will (or will not) pay for. At each visit, we can provide you with a “superbill” (a receipt of your appointment that healthcare providers use to bill insurance companies), so you can submit this on your own and get reimbursed directly. Most companies allow HSA or FSA cards and use that to pay for visits. We cannot guarantee what your insurance will offer, but some patients do get reimbursement. In the patient portal, there is a checklist you can use to call your insurance and check your benefits. This completely up to your company, plan, and deductible.

This is important: Whenever you use your insurance, you likely have to pay out of pocket for any care until you meet your deductible.  Why not get the best care possible if you will be paying out-of-pocket anyway until this is met, regardless of where you go? We often see deductibles up to $5000!  We are often done with treatment before the deductible is met. This is especially true for these high-deductible plans. Clinics often charge inflated prices to your insurance company knowing they will get cut during their contracted-price negotiations (ever notice the difference between your EOB and your actual bill?). For example, other providers may charge your insurance $425 for an evaluation, knowing they may get about $150 after contractual cuts they negotiate with the insurance company.  If you have not met your deductible, guess who gets the whole bill? Yep, you!  To make it worse, if that clinic has any delays in billing, you may not know that until you’ve been treated for months. No fun. We don’t agree with surprise bills. This can negatively effect your relationship with the clinic and your therapist.  We are clear and up front about cost because we are confident in the value of our services.  If you are unsure, call a clinic and ask what your out of pocket cost will be.  This will vary based on the codes your therapist uses after the visit, but they should be able to give you a rough estimate.  Remember:  If they can’t give you an exact amount up front,  you will find out how much it is AFTER you get your bill. Hopefully, their billing department is fast enough that this isn’t after multiple visits.

It is very important that you get value-based care. We work for YOU, not an insurance company. You and your therapist that decide what happens each visit, how many visits you need, and are not limited on services based on what the insurance company will pay for. Here, your therapist will never decide your care based on what we get paid. If you are willing to use cash for massage, acupuncture, gym membership, (which are all valuable), why not for skilled, one-on-one, doctoral level care? What is your quality of life worth? What would you pay to be able to do what you love again, be out of pain, or be “normal”? Isn’t it worth it for efficient care, not dragging out appointments, wasting time waiting for your therapist, or feeling like you are run through an assembly line of patients. Do you want more than to be packed in with a bunch of other people? We agree this isn’t the best way to be treated, and want to offer a safe, private, one-on-one experience that gets you back to those things and continue on your own with life-long skills.

We understand that there are many financial situations, and do not want this to deter you from the care you need. All costs will be discussed up front. No surprises. If you have difficulty with the cost fo visits, we are happy to discuss options with you.

Do you take Medicare?

This is even more complicated. The short answer is no.  It’s not you, it’s them. Without a strict contract with Medicare, our clinic is not allowed to offer any self-reimbursement/cash-based services that are covered by Medicare. (I’ll spare you the details here, but if you want to hear my soapbox on taking away your right to choose your health care services, call me!)