FAQs
How do I know if Garvey PT & Wellness is right for me?
I am happy to offer a free initial phone/video consult where we can get to know each other and discuss your health history, current issues, and ultimately what it is you want to get back to doing. After that, we can discuss a plan of care to see if we would be a good fit, or if it would be recommended for you to see another provider or MD first.
Do I need a doctor’s referral or prescription?
In most cases, the answer is NO.
Wisconsin is a direct access state, meaning you can go straight to a PT for treatment. We can spend a full hour together assessing your injury/complaint (vs the 15 minutes you may get face to face with a busy primary care doctor). If we identify any red-flags or determine that what you are dealing with may be beyond the scope of physical therapy care, we will gladly help direct you to the appropriate provider.
However, if you do have a doctor referral, I will happily work with you and your doctor to provide the recommended care. Also, with some insurances, pre-authorization is required, and I can help you with that process.
What can I expect at the initial appointment?
There is some paperwork to complete, which can be completed thru my website. I ask that this is done as soon as possible after scheduling our appointment, so I can have time to review it before our visit.
Our initial visit will be spent listening to your story, gathering info on any pertinent past medical history, and discussing what it is that you want to get back to doing. Then be prepared to start moving around. We will assess movement patterns, mobility, and strength in efforts to determine any areas that may be contributing to your current issue(s). It is requested that a parent/guardian be present for those clients under 18.
After that, we will spend a good deal of time going over our findings and how they relate to your symptoms. We will discuss specifically what it is that your pain/injury is preventing you from enjoying, and we will come up with a plan to get you back to doing it. We will give you a best estimate of roughly how long we think it will take to reach your goals, and how many visits we think you would benefit from.
From there, we can also discuss the specifics of what type of treatments that may be of benefit, which could include:
-providing you some homework to include self-mobility assessments and specific exercises for mobility/stability/strengthening.
(Don't worry, we will give you videos & pictures, so you can be sure you are doing them right)
-hands-on/manual therapy treatments including: instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization, functional soft tissue release techniques, joint mobilizations, myofascial cupping &/or percussion treatments, taping techniques.
-any activity modifications or other self-treatment strategies that may help speed your recovery (ice/heat, taping techniques, changes to your current exercise routine or your work set up, postural instruction, etc)
How do I schedule an appointment?
Scheduling can be done via phone call, email, or thru the website (using PTEverywhere link on the Schedule buttons, you will be taken to PTEverywhere website where you can schedule, create an account, view any of your prescribed exercises and upcoming appointments). I can also help schedule over the phone, after our free consult if you decide you would like to proceed with treatment.
Do you take insurance?
Insurance driven care does not allow me to treat how I feel clients deserve to be treated. The trend of ever decreasing insurance reimbursements frequently forces insurance-based clinic PT’s to see 2-3 patients every hour just to stay viable. More and more insurances are placing a limit on the number of PT visits allowed per year, causing people to ‘'wait until it gets bad enough’' to see a medical provider. Too often I worked with a client who was denied necessary further PT care, based off a decision made by a non-medically trained insurance worker sitting behind a desk in a different state.
By being able to spend as much time as needed with each client, I feel we can get to the true root of your problem more quickly, and show you how to overcome it, in as few visits as possible. Providing mobile/telehealth treatment is my way of hopefully making treatment more convenient, cost-effective, & accessible to all.
For the reasons mentioned above, I am not contracted with any insurance companies, but will provide you a suberbill/PT receipt that you can submit to your insurance provider for ‘out of network’ reimbursement (reimbursement rate is determined by your insurance company). Frequently HSA/FSA accounts can be used to cover physical therapy &/or wellness services.
Upon request, I can also send you a document that has a list of questions you can ask your insurance provider regarding out-of-network PT services. Just call or email if you would like me to send it to you.
Do I need to be injured or in pain to work with you?
Absolutely not! That is part of what drove me out of my prior insurance-driven clinic job. Healthcare has become too reactive, forcing people to wait until they are in pain to try to get help. Often times, by the time I saw a client in the clinic, they were in so much pain and had developed so many compensations in efforts to work around their pain, that it took us several weeks of treatment just to calm things down before we could truly address the root of the issue. See the SERVICES page regarding musculo-skeletal screenings ---I truly feel every active/working person could benefit from at least a yearly musculo-skeletal screen. With over 20 years of PT experience, I have learned to recognize common patterns of tightness/weakness and movement dysfunction that are the frequent drivers of back/shoulder/hip/knee/ankle pain. These restrictions/dysfunctions can often be identified and addressed with a periodic screening---before they start to cause pain! Think of the old saying "where there is smoke, there is fire". In the insurance driven model of health care, too often we don’t get to see people until their pain is an 8/10 (and on fire), when it could have been addressed much quicker, easier, and in fewer visits, when it was ‘just a 1 or 2/10’(just a whiff of smoke).
How do I pay?
You can pay with cash or check, credit/debit card, or in some cases with your HSA/FSA. Payment can be done thru our secure PTEverywhere site, and is requested at the time of scheduling or on the date of treatment. We can provide you with a superbill at the end of each visit, which you can then submit to your insurance provider to request reimbursement.
Can I work with you if I have Medicare?
When it comes to physical therapy treatment, unfortunately, Medicare laws make that a complicated question, where each situation is a bit different. I would be happy to chat with you regarding your specific situation to see if we are able to work together, as some situations require a little additional paperwork.
Services provided where we are NOT treating a specific injury or diagnosis, or that are provided to maintain/improve strength/mobility, or in efforts to prevent falls, are unfortunately deemed as 'not medically necessary' by Medicare, and thus not eligible for reimbursement. These services can be paid for in cash or credit, and are provided as part of a wellness program.