The Anatomy of a Cash-Based Physical Therapy Practice

Cash-Based Physical Therapy in Practice

Hello.  Welcome to my new website and blog dedicated to building, growing and starting a 100% Physical Therapy Cash Based Practice.  My name is Dr. Aaron LeBauer and I am a physical therapist in Greensboro, NC.  I am a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist and Myofascial Release specialist.  I have had a 100% cash practice since the day I graduated from PT school in 2008.  All of my professors and any other physical therapist I told about my plan simply looked at me like I was crazy, or with disbelief.  I had owned my own massage therapy practice for 10 years, specializing in chronic pain and injuries prior to entering PT school, so the transition was a bit different than starting from scratch, but I definitely faced some unforeseen challenges in my new role as a physical therapist.

My CashPT Schedule

I work 5 days a week, treat patients on 4 half days and 1 full day each week.  I schedule my patients on the hour, each visit is about 30-45 min of hands-on treatment, with 5-15 min of teaching exercise or self-treatment techniques the patient will complete at home.  I finish treatment sessions at quarter to the next hour to leave time for payment, rescheduling and changing the room. The average patient in my clinic comes in for treatment once a week for 5-8 visits. I give each of my patients a receipt with all the information they need to submit the claim themselves.

LeBauer Physical Therapy in Greensboro, NC

Creating Freedom in Practice

I set up my business this way because it allows me to spend quality time with each patient using my hands for treatment, providing each patient with the best experience tailored to their needs which they can receive while not allowing the insurance company or 3rd party payor to dictate or influence the treatments I provide or the time I spend with the patient.  The process an individual has to go through to submit a claim is much more simple and straightforward than 3rd party billing. I feel that processing insurance claims, and even filing on behalf of patients, would greatly increase the workload, require additional support staff and reduce my desire for a low overhead footprint without adding any value to the patient.

Who Are My Patients?

My patient demographic is varied, and while I treat some children and students, a majority are professionals, though most are not extremely wealthy and upper class. The common thread with my patients is that they value high quality personalized care and they value their bodies and personal health. Most of my patients have not had success or resolution of their problems with traditional treatments, medications, surgery and even physical therapy.

A Low Overhead Practice

One of the other goals in my business is also to maintain a low overhead so I can choose whom I work with and when I work. It also keeps my life simple so I can spend more time with my family, exercising and have balance in my life. We spent 5 years in a small 2 room studio and now have a small clinic with 3 private treatment rooms, waiting room, bathroom, front desk area, no exercise equipment or anything that plugs into the wall, aside from my lamp and stereo. I use my hands and provide a treatment and skill set that no one else in town can offer.  My wife, Andra, who has her own clientele providing therapeutic massage and private yoga instruction, uses one of the treatment rooms.  The other treatment room is rented by a chiropractor that specializes in soft tissue treatment as his satellite office.

Primary Care Physical Therapy

My other goal is to be a primary care health care provider of musculoskeletal issues, and the consumer of my services is the patient, not the physician across town.  This is why I market directly to the consumer and patients. However, I do not spend wads of cash on typical or traditional (brand) marketing and advertisements (This does not work), nor do I buy lunch for the physician’s whole office just to get 5 minutes of their time. That should be reserved for big pharma. 🙂 and is similar to paying for a referral in my view. I am their colleague so why should I beg them for referrals?  Internal marketing; asking my current patients to refer their friends, family and co-workers is my number one source of new patients, and close behind is the internet and specifically Google search.

Give to Get & Provide Exceptional Value

Writing articles for a local publication, optimizing your website and blog so people can find you online and offering people something of value (like our knowledge written out in a how to guide) rather than asking for handouts is the approach I find most successful.

In this blog I will share some of these strategies and tips, what has worked for me and what has not.  If you are thinking about starting a small cash based or fee-for-service physical therapy private practice or even a more traditional model, the information, how to articles, guides and marketing secrets in my upcoming digital products and online trainings will be some of the most important information you will ever read.

Thanks and I look forward to your thoughts, personal experience and feedback.
Aaron LeBauer PT, DPT, LMBT

If you are considering starting a cash-based practice and want the step-by-step guide on how to get started and grow your clinic, or you have recently started and are still struggling to get new patients in the door, then my online coaching program, The CashPT Blueprint, may be exactly what you are looking for to help you avoid the mistakes I’ve made, acquire new patients and to create the practice of your dreams.

Plus, whenever you’re ready… here are 3 ways I can help you grow your physical therapy business:

1. Grab a free copy of my book

It’s the road map to launch, grow & scale your physical therapy business. -> Click Here!

2. Join our CashPT Blueprint Program and be a Case Study.

I’m putting together a new case study group this month and if you’d like to work with me to launch your cash practice… just send me a message at m.me/AaronLeBauer with the words “Blueprint”.

3. Work with me and my team privately

If you’d like to work directly with me and my team to take you to 6 or 7 figures… just send me a message at m.me/AaronLeBauer with the words “Private”… tell me a little about your business and what you’d like to work on together, and I’ll get you all the details! ?