The Amplify OT Podcast

Take Action Today! Advocate Against 2024 Medicare Cuts Over the past couple of years we have routinely seen reductions in reimbursement underneath the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) and this year is no different. While AOTA is working diligently to advocate for our profession, your voice matters! Writing letters to Congress plays an important role in the legislative process of passing poli...

Medicare and Medicaid Policy Updates: RUGS, PDPM, MDS Is Medicare No Longer Paying for OT in SNF? I’ve seen a lot of concern on social media and in my DMs about potential significant changes to PDPM in Skilled Nursing Facilities, specifically around Medicare no longer paying for OT in SNF. You can rest assured that there have NOT been any major changes to Medicare Part A for therapy but other chan...

Fall 2023 Amplify OT and Healthcare Policy Updates {Bonus Episode} This bonus episode is outside of our regularly scheduled content but I wanted to pop in and give you some updates and let you know about policy changes going into effect.  Join the Amplify OT Membership As an exclusive bonus for podcast listeners, you can join the Amplify OT Membership at any time! Join today to take control o...

When OT Can Stand Alone in Home Health How many visits does another qualified practitioner have to complete before occupational therapy can stand alone for a Medicare home health patient? This is a question I got asked more than once and wanted to take the time to get to the bottom of this question and address some of the myths around the order of service. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Po...

Diving into Deductibles: Untangling the Complexity of Health Insurance Pricing Deductibles are an important, yet often misunderstood factor in the American health insurance system. I recently got asked a question from someone wondering if we truly have our health insurance if it doesn't kick in until our deductible is paid. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am breaking down the rea...

Billing for Point of Service (POS) Documentation Questions around billing are ones I get asked quite often and like any other type of billing, billing  for point of service documentation can be tricky to navigate. The main reason I find that people want to include their documentation or chart review time in their billable time is not that they are purposely trying to defraud someone or do som...

Doing Your Due Diligence as a Licensed OT Practitioner with Raphie Wagner You hear me preach on the podcast all the time about doing your due diligence in order to protect your license. We’re going to drive this point home in today’s episode as our guest, Raphie Wagner learned firsthand the consequences of not doing her due diligence as an OT. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am t...

How Management Shapes Our Perspective: Transitioning Into Director of Rehab with Lauren Burns Stepping into a leadership role comes with its own unique mindset challenges of imposter syndrome, finding balance, and just the adjustment to new responsibilities and perspectives. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I’m joined by Lauren Burns to talk about how management shapes our perspecti...

Decoding Medicare's Alphabet Soup: Medicare Plans It is no wonder so many people get confused about the difference between Medicare plans as they are only distinguished by a different letter of the alphabet. As an OT practitioner, it is always helpful to know the difference between plans so that you can not only help yourself but so that you can help your patients better understand the plan they h...

Direct Access in OT: Do I Need a Physician's Prescription? Another question I often get asked is whether or not occupational therapists need a physician’s referral in order to see a patient. This question primarily comes up in private practice or outpatient settings where the patient can ask for occupational therapy services. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am talking about direc...

2023 Mid-Year OT Advocacy Updates You Can Take Action On TODAY We are officially mid-way through the year and some exciting things are finally being introduced to Congress. This means we have the opportunity to step up and be an advocate for change within the Occupational Therapy profession. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am talking about the advocacy updates you can take action...

Inspiring Innovation: OT in Tech, DME and Entrepreneurship with Dr. Brandy Archie As a practicing OT, you know the importance and value that obtaining the necessary DME and adaptable equipment has on reaching your patient's goals. Unfortunately, it can be a challenge to find and obtain the right equipment especially when dealing with insurance claims. Today’s guest Dr. Brandy Archie recognized thi...

How to be Successful in Inpatient Rehab as an OT Practitioner with Courtney the OT The Amplify OT Podcast website I’ve talked before on the podcast about the importance of continually learning and being well-versed in your knowledge of the profession within your setting and across other settings to best support yourself as the practitioner and ensure your patients are getting the best quality of c...

The Role of Occupational Therapy in Acute Care and the Challenges of Discharge Planning Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L The Amplify OT Podcast website In acute care settings when it comes to getting your patients home safely, it truly is a team effort between the occupational therapists and case management team to make decisions and placements in the best interest of the patient. That’s why this week on...

Can Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Co-Treat in Acute Care? Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L The Amplify OT Podcast website A question I see a lot on social media and in my DMs is about if PT and OT can co-treat in acute care and if so, how can they make sure it is being billed correctly. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I’m breaking down how PT and OT can correctly bill for cotre...

The End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency If you’re listening to this episode when it is released, we’ve gotten used to our “new normal” following the COVID-19 pandemic. This “normal” is about to shift yet again as the COVID-19 public health emergency officially comes to an end on May 11th, 2023. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am sharing what to expect for the end of the C...

Conversations on Creating Change in the OT Profession & Our Opinions on the Full Scope OT Movement with Brock from The Occupied Podcast Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L The Amplify OT Podcast website You may have recently heard of the Full-Scope OT Movement across social media and while the language and messaging may appear appealing to some, it is important, with anything, to look at the bigger pictu...

How to Choose the Correct CPT® Codes with Mandy Chamberlain of OT Flourish Questions about billing are some of the most common questions we get asked because if things are not billed correctly, not only can you be undervaluing yourself as a practitioner, it creates this trickle-down effect that impacts everyone involved. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, my guest Mandy Chamberlain, f...

Occupational Therapy Skilled Services Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L I’m sure every OT or OTA has documented that a patient would benefit from skilled occupational therapy services or skilled occupational therapy intervention but how many actually know what it means to provide a skilled service? That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am talking about what it means to provide skilled occupatio...

Occupational Therapy Advocacy and AOTA Advocacy Efforts and Team Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L The Amplify OT Podcast website Advocacy is one of my favorite soap boxes to stand on because we as clinicians have a huge responsibility to advocate for the continued and future success of our profession. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am talking about advocacy at the state and federal leve...

2022 Occupational Therapy Advocacy Wins and Loses We just ended the 117th Congress with some wins, some losses, but most importantly, a plan to keep moving forward to improve the Occupational Therapy profession for both patients and practitioners! That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am talking about the 2022 OT advocacy wins and losses from congress! Episode Article and Resources: am...

Can You Justify the Need for Occupational Therapy? Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L In a time where we are asked to do more with less time and provide high-quality care, are you able to justify why OT is needed?  We know we are providing value, so why don't others see that? What are we missing?  In this special episode, we explore what might be preventing excellent practitioners from being able...

Conversations with AOTA’s President, Alyson Stover, on Advocacy, Leadership, and Membership Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L The Amplify OT Podcast website Curious about what the AOTA President has to say about advocacy, leadership, and the role of occupational therapy? In this episode, we talk about getting comfortable with consequences and how even though occupational therapy practitioners strive to alw...

Advocacy Initiatives for 2022 Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L A lot of times, we think that policy is something that happens to us, but today’s guest shares how we have an impact on the policies going to congress. This week on The Amplify OT Podcast, it is my great honor to be joined by my guest Heather Parsons, VP of Federal Affairs at the American Occupational Therapy Association, to talk about advocac...

False Claims Act - It's More Than Billing for Services That Weren't Provided Clarice Grote, MS, OTR/L Now I know compliance is not a word that generally sparks a lot of excitement, however, it is something that is extremely important for both the business owner and us as individual clinicians to protect ourselves and our licenses. That’s why this week on The Amplify OT Podcast, I am talking about...