Prepare for your visit with these useful resources
Health Insurance
Our Physical Therapy Clinics currently accept the following health insurance plans:
AARP
Aetna
All Savers/UHC
American Specialty Health
Blue Cross Blue Shield (ALL)
Blue Benefit Administrators of MA
Cigna
Emblem Health
First Health
GIC/Unicare
Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare
Health Partners
Health Plans, Inc
Humana
Mass General Brigham Health Plan
Motor Vehicle Insurance
Medicare
Masshealth
Meritain Health
Multiplan
Network Health
Oxford Health
Private Health Care Systems
Senior Whole Health
Tricare
Tufts
Unicare
United Healthcare
United Medical Resources (UMR)
Worker’s Compensation
**We accept all motor vehicle and workman’s compensation injuries and accidents.
For your first appointment
Please bring the following with you for your first physical therapy visit:
The physical therapy prescription from your referring physician
Your insurance cards
Your driver's license
MRI report, X-ray report, or any other related medical documents pertaining to why you are coming to physical therapy
Your copayment*
*We will call your insurance as a courtesy but it is ultimately your responsibility to call your insurance and find out what your physical therapy benefit is and the copayment amount for your physical therapy visits.
Please arrive 15 minutes early to your first appointment to give yourself time to fill out the necessary paperwork.
Our Policies
All policies are available on our website and upon request can be printed from our office and are in place for East Bridgewater, Hingham and South End Physical Therapy.
Consent to Treat
Consent is given to our therapists to evaluate and administer care to patients as established by the evaluating physical therapist. Patients understand that their treatment plan may be modified at any time according to their progress.
Authorization to Release Information
The staff of Hingham Physical Therapy, Inc. will release any and all of medical information to all parties involved in a patient’s care. These parties include but are not limited to physicians, any insurance company who will be expected to pay for patient’s care, any legal representative representing the patient and any entity requesting a copy of medical records via court order or subpoena.
Patient Payment and Credit Card/Debit Card agreement
Patients are financial responsibility for any treatment received from any staff member at Hingham Physical Therapy Inc. Payment is received from a patient’s medical insurance from a policy that is established through the patient and that company. Patients agree to pay any and all patient responsibilities for which their insurance company makes them responsible. These charges may include copays, coinsurance, and deductible costs. Patients acknowledge that it is their responsibility to receive benefit information from their insurance company regarding physical therapy treatment. Patients give permission for Hingham Physical Therapy to store their credit card information and to charge that card for any charges for which the insurance company holds the patient responsible. Patients also agree for their credit/debit card to be charged $35 for any missed visits that are not canceled with a 24 hour notification.
Policy for Minors
No minor under the age of 18 can be left at Hingham Physical Therapy without a supervising adult.
Cancellation Policy
All scheduled physical therapy treatments must be cancelled 24 hours in advance or a $35 charge will be applied to the patient’s account.
Use of email
Patients authorize use of their email for reminder notification, invoices and clinic updates and information.
remember: bring your Health Insurance Card and your Identification with you for your first visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
As with any medical procedure, it’s important to get all of the information you need to feel comfortable. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.
+ What Do Physical Therapists Do?
Physical Therapists are experts in movement and function, so they do not confine their talents to only treating people who are ill. A large part of a Physical Therapist’s program is directed at preventing injury, loss of movement, and even surgery. Physical Therapists work as consultants in industrial settings to improve the design of the workplace and reduce the risk of workers overusing certain muscles or developing lower back pain. They also provide services to athletes at all levels to screen for potential problems and institute preventive exercise programs.
The cornerstones of Physical Therapy treatment are therapeutic exercise and functional training. In addition to “hands-on” care, Physical Therapists also educate patients to take care of themselves and to perform certain exercises on their own. Depending on the particular needs of a patient, Physical Therapists may also “mobilize” a joint (that is, perform certain types of movements at the end of your range of motion) or massage a muscle to promote proper movement and function. Physical Therapists also use methods such as ultrasound (which uses high frequency waves to produce heat), hot packs, and ice.
Most forms of Physical Therapy treatment are covered by insurance, but the coverage will vary with each plan. Most states do not legally require patients to see their physicians before seeing a Physical Therapist (Direct Access). Most of the time all you have to do is ask your doctor if Physical Therapy is right for you.
+ Why is Physical Therapy a Good Option?
More than half of all Americans are suffering from pain. Whether it is acute pain or chronic pain, there’s a ton of evidence showing that pain in America is a widespread problem that commonly results in sick days from work, and can be a precursor to opioid use and dependency. However, many do not even know that Physical Therapists are well equipped to not only manage pain but also its source.
Physical Therapists are experts at treating movement and neuro-musculoskeletal disorders. Pain often accompanies a movement disorder, and Physical Therapists can help correct the disorder and relieve the pain.
+ Who Pays for the Treatment
In most cases, health insurance will cover all or a portion of the treatment costs. There may be out of pocket expenses (such as co-payments or deductibles) that the patient may be required to pay, which is determined by the patient’s insurance provider. If needed, we have a financial counseling team to assist with payment arrangements.
Any question pertaining to your coverage and financial responsibility is directed to our Eligibility and Benefits Department.
+ Is Physical Therapy Painful?
For many patients, one of the primary objectives is pain relief. This is frequently accomplished with hands-on techniques, modalities such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and/or heat or cold therapy. Movement often provides pain relief as well. Your Physical Therapist will provide you with the appropriate exercises not only for pain relief, but to recover range of motion, strength, and endurance.
In some cases, Physical Therapy techniques can be painful. For example, recovering knee range of motion after total knee replacement, or shoulder range of motion after shoulder surgery, may be painful. Your Physical Therapist will utilize a variety of techniques to help maximize your treatment goals. It is important that you communicate the intensity, frequency, and duration of pain to your Therapist. Without this information, it is difficult for the Physical Therapist to adjust your treatment plan.
Insurance Definitions
DIRECT ACCESS means an individual can be seen directly by a physical therapist without a prescription or referral from their doctor. Not all insurances will cover direct access physical therapy despite this so please check with your insurance. You can pay out of pocket for direct access if you choose.
HMO Health maintenance organization- you are required to choose a primary care physician with an HMO. You must stay within your provider network. Before seeing a specialist, including PT, you will need to obtain a referral from your PCP. With an HMO you typically have a copayment.
PPO Preferred provider organization- you do not need to choose a primary care physician and you do not have to obtain referrals before seeing a specialist including PT. You will usually have a copayment, deductible/coinsurance.
PRIVATE PAY You do not need to have a script, referral or insurance coverage to attend PT. You can pay for your visit out of pocket.
POLICY YEAR A policy year is the 12-month period between the anniversaries of a policy. Unlike a calendar year, which is January 1 to December 31, a policy year depends on the effective start date.
COPAYMENT is a fixed amount for a covered service, paid by a patient to the provider of service before receiving the service. It's defined in an insurance policy and paid by an insured person each time a medical service is accessed.
CO-INSURANCE is your share of the costs of a health care service. It's a percentage of the amount allowed to be charged for services determined by your insurance plan. You start paying coinsurance after you've paid your plan's deductibled amount, the amount can vary based on the service.
DEDUCTIBLE Your policy's deductible is a dollar amount that you are required to pay out of pocket before your insurance benefits start to apply. The amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay. After you pay your deductible, you usually pay only a copayment or coinsurance for covered services.
COORDINATION OF BENEFITS (COB) is the process of determining which of two or more insurance policies will have the primary responsibility of processing/paying a claim and the extent to which the other policies will contribute.