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Email templates · Physical therapy

Email template to ask a physical therapy clinic for its self-pay rate

You need physical therapy and you are going to pay for it yourself. Maybe you have no insurance, your plan has a deductible you have not met (the amount you pay before insurance pays anything), or your plan caps the number of visits. In all of those cases the number that matters is the self-pay rate: what the clinic charges a patient who pays at the visit instead of billing an insurer. Many clinics have a lower self-pay rate than the price they bill insurance, and some sell packages of visits at a discount. Clinics rarely post these numbers, and the front desk often will not quote them over the phone. Email gets you the rate in writing, so you can compare clinics and there is no surprise at checkout.

Before you send

  • What you need treated and, if you have one, the referral or prescription from your doctor. Some states let you see a physical therapist without a referral (called direct access), but the clinic will still want to know the problem.
  • A rough idea of how many visits you expect. A typical plan is two or three visits a week for several weeks, so ask about package pricing.
  • Whether you want the cash rate only, or also want a receipt you can submit to insurance yourself (called a superbill).
  • Your schedule constraints, so the clinic can say whether it can fit you in.
  • The names of two or three other clinics near you, so you can send the same question to each.
Subject Self-pay rate for physical therapy 
Hi [clinic name] team,

I'm looking for physical therapy for [the problem, for example a rotator cuff strain or recovery after knee surgery] and I plan to pay for the visits myself rather than through insurance. [I have a referral from Dr. Last name dated date / I do not have a referral yet.]

Could you send me your self-pay pricing in writing? Specifically:

- The cost of the initial evaluation
- The cost of each follow-up visit, and how long a visit is
- Any package or prepaid discount for a block of visits
- Whether you can give me a superbill so I can submit to my insurer myself

I'd like to start within [the next two weeks] and can come [weekday mornings / after 5 pm / weekends]. If the rate works and you have openings, I'll book the evaluation right away.

Thanks,
[Your name]
[Your phone number]

Everything in brackets is yours to fill in. Keep the rest as it is or change the tone to match how you write.

After you send

  • Most clinics answer within a day or two with an evaluation fee and a per-visit rate. If the reply only says "it depends on the treatment," reply once and ask for the rate for a standard visit; nearly every clinic has one.
  • Compare the per-visit rate across clinics, not just the evaluation fee. Over a dozen visits, a small difference adds up.
  • If a clinic will not put a price in writing, treat that as your answer and go elsewhere. A clinic that quotes clearly by email will bill clearly too.

Or don't send it yourself

Forward the job to myagent@standinfor.me and let StandIn run the whole thread.

StandIn is an email assistant that handles conversations with businesses for you. You write it one email saying what you need. It writes to the business, waits for the answer, follows up when they go quiet, pushes back on the number when it should, and brings the results back to your inbox for you to decide. You don't need to install an app or sign up. The first email you send is already the start of the task.

Hand this to StandIn opens an email to myagent@standinfor.me with the job already written out

To myagent@standinfor.me Subject Find me self-pay physical therapy rates 
Hi StandIn,

Please find out what physical therapy clinics near me charge if I pay out of pocket, and book me an evaluation at the one that fits best.

What I need treated: [the problem and any referral you have].
Where I live: [city or zip code].
How many visits I expect: [rough number, or not sure].
My availability: [days and times that work].
Top choice if any: [clinic name, or none yet].

Ask three or four clinics for the evaluation fee, the per-visit rate, and any package discount, then bring me the numbers side by side with which ones have openings.

Thanks,
[Your name]

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