First Coast Service Options, the Florida Medicare carrier has been auditing and denying all claims made by Doctors of Podiatric Medicine for Physical Therapy since May 2011. Many patients with certain diagnoses do very well with Physical Therapy modalities in conjunction with medication and /or injections. These therapies restore function and/or abate limiting pain when surgery is either not appropriate or not an option for health reasons. To date, Medicare owes most practices in excess of 100 thousand dollars. This has caused financial hardship for the practices. The patient in turn, cannot be seen in therapy, as it is now costing the practice instead of generating a reasonable income. FCSO offers as an excuse, improper documentation submission, when it has always been acceptible in the past. We have had teleconferences to correct errors, resubmitted only to be denied again. Some Doctors have hired consultants who are former claims adjusters and still their claims are denied. It has become clear that these Medicare tactics are designed to discourage offering this valuable service in order to shrink their budget. We need your show of support and a need for a congressional hearing to end this unfair practice.
Why is this important?
Medicare denying claims made by podiatrists for their patients physical therapy. Podiatry needs a hearing on Capitol Hill before this service disappears from Medicine. Physical Therapy today, all of Medicare tomorrow.
