Before starting Ninja Physio, I worked at physical therapy clinics that accepted insurance. Within just a few months, I became frustrated by how health insurance actually incentivized lower-quality treatment and often led to worse outcomes for patients.
Here are some of the main issues I encountered as an in-network provider:
1. Limited to One Body Part per Referral
Insurance only allowed me to treat the body part listed on the referral. If the doctor made a mistake (e.g., wrote “right knee” instead of “left”), I was still legally bound to treat only what was written. Worse, if the pain was referred from another area—like foot pain stemming from the back—I couldn’t address the root cause. I could only treat the symptom area specified on the prescription.
2. Double or Triple Booking
Insurance models emphasize quantity over quality. This often meant seeing multiple patients at the same time, limiting the individual attention each person received.
3. Lack of Continuity of Care
4. Excessive Paperwork and Unnecessary Visits
Insurance required an overwhelming amount of paperwork for evaluations, re-evaluations (every 30 days), and discharges. Many appointments were spent doing paperwork and tests instead of actual treatment. The documentation burden was so heavy, I often had to spend hours after work finishing notes—leading to stress, burnout, and less energy for patient care.