Does Obamacare Promote “Independence at Home” Over Physical Therapy?
Many physical therapists are concerned that Obamacare promotes its Independence at Home initiative over physical therapy and the answer at this point is yes.
The Independence at Home program uses technology at home (known as e-care) or community centers to identify problems and provide services to save money.
It’s difficult enough to persuade patients they need to visit their clinician’s office, especially the elderly and those with disabilities.
Obamacare’s program could make patients even more reluctant to leave their homes.
When patients can receive services at the local community center, they aren’t going to travel the extra distance to obtain the same treatments at their therapist.
Taking Healthcare To The Patients
The initiative is a new opportunity for clinicians to help patients through providing in-home physical therapy. Patients are less likely to attend sessions at a nearby community center or outpatient facility if the therapist is able to come to them.
The disabled, veterans and seniors will benefit most from in-home services and it provides the means for therapists to use Obamacare to their financial advantage.
Utilizing ACOs To Maximize Returns
One way clinicians can benefit is through becoming part of an accountable care organization (ACO). An ACO is a team of healthcare providers from different specialties that work together to manage patient care.
Obamacare rewards team members financially for good home care management that keeps patients out of hospitals and nursing homes, gets them better quickly, and saves money.
The Return of House Calls with Portable Technology
Many elderly patients have lamented the loss of an era when physicians and nurses made house calls, eliminating the need for them to leave their home.
Obamacare marks a return of those services through the Independence at Home program and with the assistance of the In Touch EMR, therapists can take their services on the road.
The software offers the ability to document patient encounters and treatment with tablet technology anywhere an Internet connection is available.
In Touch Biller PRO can be integrated with EMR technology to create and send reimbursement claims on the go. Both software systems provide practitioners with a new delivery method to increase revenues.
E-Care To Save Money
At-home monitoring is encouraged and it’s the direction in which healthcare is going under Obamacare.
Clinicians can monitor a number of chronic conditions and symptoms, ranging from blood pressure and heart rates to glucose levels.
Some monitoring devices use the Internet and EMR technology to automatically send data to the practitioner.
Other methods require an actual person to document information collected by a machine.
The Independence at Home initiative in Obamacare promotes therapy in the home or at community centers as a means of reducing overall healthcare expenses.
Therapists will be hit especially hard unless they find ways to utilize Obamacare for themselves. In-home services and ACOs offer clinicians with diversification options, but only if they’re willing to change and expand the way they treat patients.