The Cash-Based Practice Podcast

In this highlights episode, Leon Knight explains how he uses Instagram to bring in at least one new patient per week! To some, that may not sound like a lot. But for a small cash-practice, that's more patient generation via social media than I've heard of almost any practice owner doing without paying for ads on Facebook and Instagram (and it still beats most that are paying for ads).  In just a c...

Joseph Reinke got his start working in investments. During the runup to the mortgage market meltdown, he noticed that most of the professionals in the field didn't understand the basics, which led them to take truly absurd risks. He also noticed a segmentation problem in the financial arena that makes it hard for average Americans to get the help they need in order to make good money-related decis...

In this episode, I explain some of the unexpected benefits your cash-based practice can gain from using a good online booking system. While the convenience to patients is obvious, there are many practice-side benefits that can offset the expense. This one is a really quick listen, with highly targeted information—so if you've ever thought about implementing an online booking solution for your cash...

I'm so excited to share this tool and the fascinating story of how it came to be. It's not every day a NYC psychiatrist finds himself in the software business, disrupting the insurance and claims industry!  When Vatsal Thakkar first opened his own practice, he decided on the cash-based model because he wanted to spend more time with each patient. He found the experience of helping his patients ins...

In this highlights episode, Phil Plisky explains exactly how an insurance-based clinic can generate lots of cash-based revenue by offering wellness-focused screenings and injury-prevention services. He describes precisely how they've successfully leveraged injury-prevention screenings to develop a wellness-service niche that patients are happy to pay for out of pocket, even though they are accusto...

In 2005, Cody Barnett left his job to open a physical therapy practice because he wanted to be able to provide the kind of care that exceeds patient expectations. For the same reason, he had the intention of structuring the practice as cash-based from the start. However, with limited access to good resources on how to make that succeed, he felt he needed to bolster his cash-pay practice by partici...

In this highlights episode, Eric Oliver explains exactly how he was able to finally start getting traction with the marketing for his fledgling physical therapy clinic. By targeting the niche of endurance athletes in the community, his fully cash-based practice was able to develop a direct connection with a highly motivated market. Eric shares details on what's worked in his niche, how he gets ref...

This is the first interviewee I've had on the podcast who offers single-sessions that cost over $1000! Granted, these are 4-hour sessions, but it was quite impressive to hear how this level of service is sold. When Gina Calderone first started out, she saw herself more as an in-home personal trainer even though she was a licensed physical therapist. As she took on more clients, she soon realized s...

In this episode, I discuss the rather uncomfortable question often raised by prospective patients—that is, whether you participate with their health insurance plan. Over the years, I've found some strategies for making that conversation a whole lot more comfortable. And my approach is quite successful in leading many of the insurance "objectors" to choose my Austin-based physical therapy clinic de...

So here we are in 2020! This past year has been both incredible and incredibly challenging, and I wanted to share my biggest cash-based practice lessons learned and must-have strategies to bulletproof your private practice. Life can throw you curve balls, and if your business doesn't have the components and foundations I describe in this episode, those curve balls can put you out of business. You'...

In this highlights episode, Meredith Soelberg and Brooke Mitchell describe their experience as employees in an  insurance-based physical therapy practice that had to "weather the storm" of massive reimbursement cuts. The impact of those cuts made it apparent that they'd have to change their business model or face economic ruin. The cash-based practice model seemed to be the obvious solution, so th...

This is Part 2 of my interview with Brenda Heinecke, who has spent the last 4 years building an incredibly successful pelvic-floor physical therapy practice that's entirely cash-pay. If you missed Part 1, check it out to hear her tell the remarkable story of how she got a private pay practice started and managed the many challenges along the way. In this episode, we dig into the details of all the...

Brenda Heinecke knew she wanted to be a physical therapist since high school. She envisioned a peds focus for her career, but once she landed her first job after PT school, she knew it wasn't a good fit. While looking for another job, she started doing some in-home therapy—and continued that even after she took a full-time job. Within a few months, she rented a small office to see her own patients...

In this episode, I share website strategies that will help your cash-based physical therapy practice generate more leads that eventually become paying customers. I provide plain-language explanations of the top three factors that affect how high your site ranks with search engines, so you'll understand what matters and why. And I explain exactly how to make sure you are performing well in each are...

After grad school, Joey Salgado found his first job overwhelming and disappointing, as he was required to see 4-5 pts per hour plus the evals that came in. Assorted other jobs that followed all left him similarly unfulfilled, until he finally began to wonder why he chose physiotherapy at all. Eventually he'd had enough. Joey decided to "give up fear for Lent" and start working on his own cash-base...

In this episode, I answer some of the questions I received on how I market my own cash-based physical therapy practice . I share details on how I started my clinic, what I've learned about creating an effective, sustainable web presence, and how we follow up with prospective customers to improve the odds they'll become patients. This "highlight" is from a full podcast FAQ on going out of network .

After watching her employers in an insurance-based practice "drowning and miserable" for 5 years, Alicia Willoughby knew she wouldn't work in that business model for the rest of her career. She searched for information on the private-pay model, which led her to the Cash-Based Practice Podcast . As she learned more, she began reaching out to others who were succeeding with their cash-pay practices....

Dr. Carlos Berio shares his strategies for growing a cash practice to include multiple therapists. He candidly discusses the practical considerations of hiring in detail, including approaches to compensation and incentives.

During PT school, Greg found a fantastic sports rehab website and set up a clinical rotation with its founder, Joe Heiler. That experience was life changing for Greg. After graduation, he found work as a physical therapist and later decided to start his own cash-based practice part-time.  Greg soon found his employment schedule was limiting the growth of his own practice, so he quit his other job...

Considering starting a cash-based practice or online business? Here's my advice on the top things to consider in your decision-making process that will ensure you are geared toward success. This "highlight" is from a full interview I did with Chad Prince . More specifically, we discuss these cash-based practice topics: Setting realistic expectations for profit margins, overhead costs, and the over...

After leaving a career in finance where he was "pretty miserable," Mike Braitsch decided to start anew and pursue his passion for physical therapy. During his education at UT Southwestern, he combined his knowledge in PT and a background in martial arts to put together a pilot program to test the benefits of boxing and martial arts training for Parkinson's patients. The program did so well that he...

If you can't find your dream job, create it! After receiving her PT degree, Kelsey Baas found rewarding work in the specialties of developmental pediatrics and orthopedics in a Houston hospital, and saw the importance of multiple disciplinary teams in providing the best care. But personally, she and her husband wanted to move back to Waco. Since Waco offered no opportunities for her to work in a w...

In 2005, Rob Vining developed and launched the world's first digital practice for physical therapy. His telehealth model allowed him to accept and treat patients from all over the world on a cash-pay basis, and it became clear those patients were getting great results. In time, Rob found himself focusing more on developing software tools that would enable medical professionals to easily enter the...

After PT school, Cameron Garber found himself increasingly frustrated by the standard approach to healthcare that focuses on treating illnesses rather than preventing them. This led him to buy an existing partially cash-based practice that would allow him to offer the kind of care he felt was best for his patients. However, this decision proved troublesome for many reasons, and Cameron struggled t...

"Am I living out my purpose?" That's the question Amanda Heritage asked herself as she assessed her career in physical therapy. When she realized the answer was "no," she knew she needed to make a change. Despite the naysayers who told her it was impossible to create a successful cash-based PT practice in southern New Jersey, she decided to give it a go.  She began looking online to learn how to b...