FAQs

Physical therapy uses evidence-based practices to provide high-quality treatments and techniques to help restore function and mobility. They do this through a variety of therapeutic exercises, manual techniques, modalities, and equipment, rather than surgery or medication, to help patients regain or improve their physical abilities. Our physical therapists are healthcare professionals with advanced degrees and committed to restoring your function, maintaining your mobility, and preventing future injury.

Physical therapy is a non-surgical, natural, safe, and long-lasting course of treatment that can lower the cost of your care. They not only help restore your health but continually educate you on how to prevent future injury to stay healthy and active. Physical therapy can help reduce the need for pain medications that carry adverse risks and side effects, and it’s a great way to avoid extensive procedures like surgery. 

Physical therapists are healthcare professionals with a graduate degree, either master’s or clinical doctorate, from an accredited physical therapy program. They must pass both the national and appropriate state licensure examinations. They are experts in bodies in motion and movement, with ongoing education and specialization after they graduate from their university. Our physical therapists are committed to restoring your function, maintaining your mobility, and preventing future injury. They treat a wide variety of conditions that can hinder your ability to move and function. They will use evidence-based practices to provide high-quality treatments and techniques to restore you to your highest level of mobility and function and doing the things you love.

Make an appointment today and take your first step toward better health. 

Our multidisciplinary team of physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other clinical support staff, following your initial evaluation, will work to design an individualized plan of care to help you reach your health goals.

Depending on your diagnosis, your treatment plan could include a combination of different techniques including:

• Therapeutic exercises, including functional exercises
• Therapeutic activities, including functional activities
• Neuromuscular Re-education
• Modalities – electric and thermal agents to promote healing and pain reduction 
• Patient education
• Home Exercise Programs
• Manual therapy

We also offer Health and Wellness Programs to maintain your health and level of function and prevent future injury.

Maintenance Physical Therapy is covered by Medicare and some insurance providers but it is complicated.

Physical therapy is a profession founded on restorative and rehabilitative care. Meaning for you to receive skilled physical therapy services you must exhibit the potential and ability to restore a prior level of function and/or reverse a loss of function. The traditional model of physical therapy has specific requirements to qualify for service. These requirements included having an initial evaluation where the physical therapist evaluates not only your impairments and loss of function, but also your potential to improve. Following the initial evaluation, specific short term and long-term goals must be established and re-evaluations performed to track and demonstrate progress toward set goals. Finally, you are required to be discharged once you have met your goals and regained your function. There is ongoing research and work within the profession of physical therapy to become more efficient and effective utilizing new techniques, practices, and equipment available to achieve the restoration of function in the shortest amount of time possible. Insurance providers are continually reducing payment to therapy service providers for therapy services due to data provided and norms for restoration continually being shortened due to. There was an understanding that if you did not progress with your therapy or plateaued in your progress you were then to be discharged due to meeting ‘maximum functional potential.’

Maintenance physical therapy came into play in 2013 following the settlement of Jimmo v Sebelius case. This turned the world of physical therapy upside down. It went against all the norms and requirements of traditional physical therapy. It suddenly opened the door to begin allowing physical therapists to provide physical therapy to patients even when no improvement is expected, when no improvement was made, and when the need was to simply prevent deterioration. The requirements to qualify for this type of therapy was left vague with much room for interpretation and still widely misunderstood and continually debated in the physical therapy community today.

Restorative physical therapy and maintenance physical therapy are on opposite ends of the spectrum. While restorative physical therapy has very definitive requirements for participation, with the establishment of goals, frequency, and endpoints; maintenance therapy has subjective and vague requirements with respect to goals, frequency, and endpoints. Due to the general lack of structure of maintenance therapy, it is often avoided by most practicing physical therapists today. Physical therapists are continually warned that the fraudulent use of their license and billing insurance could result in the loss of their therapy license. Physical therapists are good people trying to obey the laws and work within the guidelines established to protect their license. Once a therapist goes down the road of providing maintenance therapy, they fear the unknown because of the lack of parameters and structure. They fear the potential to either not be paid for the services they provide because there is no improvement or goals met, or worse the loss of their license and livelihood for providing therapy and billing insurance providers in situations where no potential was expected.

Maintenance physical therapy is covered by Medicare and some insurance providers. Coverage is based on the physical therapist’s individualized assessment of the patient’s condition and the need for skilled care to carry out a safe and effective maintenance program. Patients are not required to have the potential to improve and the maintenance therapy is covered in cases in which needed therapeutic interventions require a high level of complexity. Routine exercise and walking programs are not considered skilled programs in and of themselves while the education to caregivers on how to perform the exercises and walking programs safely with that patient is considered a skill. If the interventions can be taught and appropriately carried out by a caregiver or another unskilled provider, these services are not considered skilled and do not meet Medicare coverage requirements. The frequency of therapy visits is based on the clinical judgment of the physical therapist and the unique clinical condition of the patient, but the frequency of visits must be justified to your insurance provider. For every visit that is provided by a physical therapist, the therapist must show that the service was a skilled physical therapy service. Services are not covered or considered skilled maintenance therapy simply because a competent, skilled caregiver is not available to furnish the services and a therapist performs them. Caregivers are required to be instructed and periodically reviewed to determine if they are carrying out an unskilled service.

For Home Health therapy services, it is required that you see your physician and obtain a doctor’s prescription for therapy services in your home. This is a requirement for all Medicare plans. Your physician or Assisted Living Facility director will receive the Home Health plan of care for their records and able to monitor your progress through direct access to your therapy note and records.

For Outpatient Therapy and Virtual Therapy, some insurance providers require that you see a physician and get a prescription before seeing one of our physical therapists. However, a prescription is not required, and you have direct access to outpatient therapy services, without the need for a referral or prescription from your physician. Direct access provides you with an immediate option to start physical, occupational, or speech therapy treatment as soon as possible.

We have developed and maintain strong relationships with physicians, and we will make sure you see the appropriate professional when you need to. The physician/therapist relationship is integral to help you heal effectively. Your physician will receive a detailed copy of your initial evaluation, along with other notes as you progress through rehabilitation, advancing toward your stated goals.

For Maintenance Physical Therapy, you are required to see a physician and obtain a doctor’s prescription for maintenance physical therapy. These services are provided by physical therapists but will be less frequent than regular physical therapy. These services are to maintain a patient’s condition or prevent further deterioration but requires a skilled physical therapist in order to be safe and effective due to there being a high level of medical complexity.

For Health and Wellness Programs, you do not need a physician’s script. While these programs have been designed by therapists, these services are not provided by therapists and purely cash-based. While these programs have been designed by therapists, these services are not provided by therapists and purely cash-based. We maintain strong and lasting relationships with physicians and our multidisciplinary team of therapists will monitor the programs and communicate to your physicians when needed. These services are provided by non-skilled and non-licensed personnel that have been thoroughly trained by therapists. This personnel will also be in communication with therapists both on a regular and as-needed basis, but not supervised by any therapist. These programs are not covered by Medicare or any insurance plans at this time. 

Depending on the situation, you may need to obtain a prescription from a healthcare provider before your appointment. 

Home Health therapy service – always requires a doctor’s prescription. 

Outpatient and Virtual Therapy – depends on insurance providers. You do not require a doctor’s prescription to be seen by a therapist and have direct access to receive therapy. However, the payment of your therapy services is dependent on your insurance provider. Some insurance providers require a prescription before seeing one of our therapists and some do not. Medicare does not require a prescription to be evaluated by a physical therapist, but if the therapist determines that therapy is necessary, they will send your initial physical therapy evaluation to your physician for approval and signature.

Maintenance Physical Therapy – does require a doctor’s prescription and some insurances do not cover these services

Health and Wellness Program – does not require a doctor’s prescription and is 100% cash-based.

Even when required to have a prescription from your physician, you can choose where you go for physical therapy. Choose Us!!!

Call, email, use our online request form or reach out on social media to schedule an appointment. We will schedule with you quickly and possibly even the same day. We try to always schedule your initial visit within 2-3 business days of contact.

We are located at:

2212 Malvern Avenue, Suite 5
Hot Springs, AR 71901, AR 71901
(Eastgate Plaza across from Jose’s Mexican on Malvern)

Visit our locations page for a map to our clinic. We provide ‘genuine care that never quits’ with strong company values and standards to provide the most valuable therapy services possible. Our promise to you is to use all of our God-given abilities and resources to regain and maintain the highest level of function possible for every individual allowing them to live the most abundant life possible. To be a positive influence on all who come in contact with our team of therapists.

If receiving Home Therapy services, our partner agencies are able to provide translation services to you at no cost.

Our Outpatient and Virtual Therapy Programs, as well as our Health and Wellness Programs, are not equipped to provide language translation services at this time.

For Home Health and Outpatient Therapy, wear comfortable clothing that is easy to move around in and which allows our therapists to access your point of pain. Clothes such as sweatpants, gym shoes, or other work out attire is preferred. 

For Virtual Therapy, wear comfortable clothing that allows room for movement that can be seen over video. Ideally, as long as remaining modest, it would be best if we could see your extremities and/or area of concern and also how parts of your body move. For areas that are not appropriate to be shown, snug-fitting clothes can be worn.

Before your first visit, please complete all your new patient forms online or print them off and either email/fax back or and bring them to your first appointment. Please also bring your insurance card, a photo ID, the prescription you received (if needed) from your healthcare provider, and any other relevant reports, paperwork, or results. If you require any medical assistive devices, such as an assistive device, brace, walking boot, ect., please be sure you bring them to your visit as well.

Out of respect for other patients and our therapy team, your appointment time reflects when treatment begins. We recommend you arrive 10 minutes early. We understand that life happens and ask that you please us and let us know if you are running late so we can accommodate you. If you are more than 15 minutes late, we may not be able to accommodate you. If we can not accommodate you, you will need to reschedule your appointment. After 3 or more reschedules or cancellations, you may be charged a cancellation fee.

Your first visit with us is called your initial evaluation.  Your therapist will spend one-on-one time with you to listen and understand your current complaints and medical condition, understand your needs and goals, and then establish a specifically designed plan of care. The initial evaluation will include:

• Subjective reporting of your complaints and condition
• Determining overall health goals
• Objective testing and measurements to determine baseline
• Assessment of your condition and causes of the current level of function
• Designing a specific treatment plan to address your impairments and restore health
• Education on condition causes and other factors to consider
• Establishment of a home-exercise program
• Discussion on the recommended length and frequency of treatment plan

Your diagnosis, impairments, and goals will help direct your treatment, but your appointments may consist of:

• Therapeutic exercises
• Therapeutic activity
• Manual therapy
• Modalities (electrical & thermal)
• Review of your home-exercise program and goals
• Patient education
• Functional/activity-specific exercises

You will be asked to complete a health status questionnaire at admission, mid-treatment, and at discharge. We are required to provide standardized testing to rate your ability to do your usual activities and upon discharge, we want to measure your satisfaction as a patient. This information is reviewed by your treating clinician in order to adjust your sessions to provide you with the most effective treatment plan.

Your feedback is extremely important to us and to others who are interested in exploring using our therapy services for the first time. Your complete satisfaction is our top priority. We do not just want to provide therapy to you just one time to restore your health, but we want to be your first and only choice as a health partner for life. We strive for 5 out of 5-star reviews for areas of value, dependability, relationships, and recommendations. If you are not able to rate us as a 5 out of 5-stars then we want to know how we could improve and ask that you email us at info@ptelevation.com.

We would really appreciate a 5/5 star review with your story on how the therapy helped by clicking here: Google Business Review

We will provide you with a health status questionnaire at your initial evaluation, mid-treatment, and at discharge. These questionnaires are used to compare our results with other clinics and patients across America. This data helps us improve our techniques, so we remain the most valuable, effective, and efficient therapy team possible. 

We also welcome your questions and feedback at any time during your treatment. We take patient feedback seriously and appreciate your input. Please call us at 501-463-9057 or email us info@ptelevation.com.

Benefits for physical, occupational, and speech therapy may differ from standard medical coverage. After scheduling your initial evaluation and prior to your first visit with us, our clinical support team, as a courtesy, will contact your insurance provider to verify your health insurance treatment benefits and coverage. 

We encourage you to also review and verify your benefits with your insurance provider prior to your first appointment. Please note that insurance quotes are not a guarantee of benefits or coverage.

This is our billing process:

• All co-pays are expected at time of service.
• Your therapist will forward your daily visit charges to our Billing Center.
• The Billing Center will submit these charges to your insurance company for reimbursement.
• Our clinic will receive the insurance payment within 30 to 60 days.
• Elevation Outpatient Therapy will provide you with an invoice after insurance reimbursement or regarding a decision on services rendered from your insurance provider (within 30 to 60 days).

Our Therapy clinics will have access to your balance in real-time and will help answer any questions that you may have.

We offer multiple ways to pay your bill. You may submit your payment by mail, through our secure online portal, by telephone, or in our clinic.

Please refer to our page on Insurance Information (link to that page).  We accept most major insurance plans and are in the process of continually adding new insurance plans. Our clinical support team will verify your insurance coverage and communicate a quote of therapy benefits from your insurance carrier prior to your first visit. Please note that verification of coverage is only a quote and not a guarantee of payment. We encourage you to also call your insurance company and verify benefits. To assure the highest level of coverage, we encourage you to review any possible limitations and requirements your plan might have.

 Some common insurance plan requirements and limitations include:

• Co-pay required by the patient at the time of service
• Referrals required from primary care physicians (PCP) at the initial visit
• Therapy visit limitations per calendar year
• Pre-certifications
• Deductible and co-insurance obligations

Our clinical support team is here to help you gain a clearer understanding of your insurance coverage and claim procedures so you can get the treatment you need. If you do not see your insurance plan on our insurance plan list, please call us at 501-463-9057. 

If you have questions regarding the amount of payment or non-payment on your claim, call your insurance company for an explanation. If the insurance company finds that an error was made, note the information and whom you talked with at the insurance company. Request an anticipated payment date and ask if they need anything to complete processing. If the insurance company feels the bill was paid correctly and you still disagree, find out from the insurance company what you need to do to file an “appeal” with them. Filing an appeal will not guarantee that the insurance company will pay more on your bill, but the claim will be reviewed for reconsideration.

Full payment must be made before your service begins. If you have an existing patient account, we can bill you directly, or we can accept a credit card, check, or money order.

We do not offer full or partial refunds for unused services with our Health and Wellness Program. Like fitness center memberships and personal training, you do not receive money back when you do not utilize the services provided to you.

If your plans change and you need to cancel your appointment, please give us at least 24 hours’ notice. If less than 24 hours and you are not rescheduling your appointment, you may be charged a cancellation fee. We recommend that you schedule appointments far enough in advance to ensure you receive the time slots you need.