Maria Campos Barker
1425 Union Meeting Road
Blue Bell, PA. 19422
Dear Ms. Barker,
As a member of _______________________ Aetna insurance plan and a former/current patient of HARTZ Physical Therapy, located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I am reaching out to you today with an urgent request.
My physical therapist has informed me that Aetna’s capped reimbursement rates for independent clinics, specifically HARTZ Physical Therapy, are significantly below their operating costs. In addition, there has been minimal change in reimbursement in the last 10 years, despite record inflation over the past several years. They have indicated that their requests for a rate increase have been routinely ignored.
Fairly compensating providers for their care and service to your members should be at the top of your priority list.
Aetna reimbursement rates to HARTZ Physical Therapy for approximately an hour of physical therapy care provided by a Doctor of Physical Therapy range from $70-$80.00.
To put this in perspective, Aetna is paying less for an hour of skilled care by a Doctor of Physical Therapy than it costs for an hour of massage, a dog groomer appointment, or a hair appointment. This reimbursement not only prevents HARTZ PT and similar independent clinics from fairly paying their clinicians, many of whom are saddled with $100,000+ of student debt but also prevents them from providing the quality care that we, as Aetna members, deserve.
HARTZ Physical Therapy has shared with us that, after welcoming Aetna members to their clinic for the past 25 years, they are considering becoming an out-of-network provider due to significant losses sustained from low reimbursement by Aetna insurance and Aetna Medicare Replacement Plans.
As a member of an Aetna insurance plan, losing HARTZ Physical Therapy as an option for care in Lancaster, PA would be a significant loss. I urge you to consider a rate increase for HARTZ Physical Therapy and all independent clinics, which may not have the leverage of a large hospital system but are providing exceptional care and customer service to their patients.
Thank you for considering this request.
Sincerely,
Signature: ________________________________________________________
Printed Name and Plan or Group #: __________________________________