Rehab

All's well that ends with wellness: Why starting a wellness program can increase your case load

Rehab Regs, May 20, 2003

Source: Briefings on Outpatient Rehab Reimbursement and Regulations, July 2002

An old Spanish proverb says, "A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools." That's true, according to Peter J. Lord, Ph.D, PT, president of HealthQuest, Inc. in Jacksonville, FL. He holds the idea of preventive health care in such high esteem that he's built his business around it. And he thinks that your practice can benefit from it, too.

Wellness programs are carefully constructed interventions and solutions, as well as health screenings prescribed to healthy people. The goal: help people feel better, slow down their aging process, and prevent disease developing. Ten years ago, the wellness industry didn't exist, but in the last decade it has grown into a $200 billion market.

Why is this a moneymaker?

Lord says people have more disposable income today and will use that money to live longer and healthier. "The timing with everything-from the economy and the desire of the baby boomer generation to stay young-creates a huge wave of opportunity and this is something that therapy and the health care community should grasp," says Lord.

"[Wellness] can be a little entrepreneurial, it can be exciting, but it can be extremely rewarding aside from the money. It creates a nice framework for your recognition in the community. It takes you beyond being a practitioner and makes your business look that much more attractive."

Rehab facilities are ideal clinical environments to implement the wellness programs and services for the following reasons:

    1. Trust factor. Your patients already trust you and know that you won't steer them wrong; therefore, they are more open to trying new programs.

    2. Easy access. Patients like the convenience of going to a place with which they are familiar.

    3. Therapists are properly educated and ready to meet the demand. As a health provider, you know how to treat an injury. Lord proposes using that same healing knowledge and applying it to folks who are well, but want to be better.

There is also a tremendous need in health care for this service. Less than 1% of physicians offer a wellness or preventive health care program. It's an opportunity for you to be the first in your market to provide this service and reap the benefits. And unlike therapy, you do not need physician referrals to see patients.

Reimbursement

"The best thing about wellness is that it is a cash-driven business," Lord says. "For example, charges for a screening might run your patient from $20-$35 for an osteoporosis screening. You will find that a woman who is concerned about this will pay you on the spot."

Let your patients know that your screening tests aren't very expensive compared to hospitals and larger clinics. "It's very market sensitive to the pocketbook, but you can do enough to do very well with this," Lord says.

Medicare doesn't normally reimburse for a prevention program. However, Lord says there are some instances when Medicare will give you money for seeing patients. Medicare will reimburse for an osteoporosis screening once every 23 months. Patients with Alzheimer's disease could benefit from cognitive testing, which may be reimbursable under new laws.

Changes to your staff

Hire someone or appoint a person from your current staff to be your wellness director, Lord suggests.

Consider a PT assistant or an athletic trainer on your current staff who is looking to move up and do something different.

But above all, make sure the person is both a go-getter and one who loves the wellness field.

"This is a phenomenal opportunity for someone because they can have a lot of fun changing someone's health," Lord says. "If they are in to that, they can do a great job."

A wellness director's primary responsibilities include the following:

  • Identifying community activities and determining whether a wellness program is a good idea for certain city or town events and celebrations

  • Calling people in the area, including businesses and senior centers to find new and exciting places for you to spread the wellness message

Training helps launch your wellness program

Adding wellness to your therapy practice is easy, since no state laws prohibit your involvement. Your first job is to seek the proper training. Companies such as HealthQuest, Inc, can dispatch a representative to your facility and show you and your staff how to make wellness work.

HealthQuest President Peter J. Lord, PhD, PT, offers the following tip about the cost of these kinds of services:

  • Consulting fees. HealthQuest charges around $5,000 for taking a therapist from square one through every nuance of the wellness program.

  • Strategic process. "I usually sit down with the therapist and see where [his or her] interests lie and identify the practice's needs and goals."

  • Price factors. These depend on the types of programs and services the therapist wants, and how much help the therapist wants to get the new services and programs up and running.

  • Quality. Your training should include mentorship that guarantees only the best information.

    "There are some folks who try to peddle a lot of equipment and supplements that turn out to be nothing more than snake oil," Lord warns. "We help the therapist sort through the market."

Attracting patients through marketing

For PTs and OTs, the opportunities for income from wellness services comes through an unlikely segment of the population-the healthy. You will have to use your marketing skills to persuade these people to try this service.

There are many ways of getting news clients, according to Peter Lord, PhD, PT, president of HealthQuest, Inc. in Jacksonville, FL. The following are a few suggestions on where to do wellness screenings:

  • Physician's offices and managed care groups

  • Health fairs and health clubs

  • Retail or grocery stores with pharmacies or independent pharmacies

  • Community organizations, church groups, or schools

  • Non-profit organizations such as the American Heart Association

Another great way to attract large amounts of patients is to approach different businesses-like a factory-and offer free screenings to employees. Consider health screenings and tests for osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease risk, diabetes, Alzheimer's, cholesterol, fitness, and more.

Remember: Just because you start a new wellness program does not mean that you have to abandon your therapy practice.

Wellness programs complement therapy; one feeds off the other. Take a wellness patient who needs a therapist-chances are they will come to you first. Likewise, former therapy patients who had a good experience with you will come back for wellness services.

"Once a person experiences a wellness intervention that works, they want more," Lord says. "You will have patients for life."

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