A great article by Samuel S. Sprague touching on the affect Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) will have on physical therapy practices.
ACOs will provide a tangible benefit for physical therapy providers by improving the quality of care and lower the cost of the care.
However, there are some concerns that freestanding physical therapy clinics will be squeezed out of the market by large ACOs, but provisions have been created by the Department of Justice to combat anti-trust activities.
Sprague points out that it is critical for physical therapy clinics to adopt physical therapy software so they can incorporate EHR into their practice.
Although the final rules for ACOs have not been finalized, it is important that physical therapists stay apprised of forthcoming developments.