Cancellation No Show Policy Medicare Question:
“Cancellation fee:
Have any mobile therapists ever charged a full private pay rate for cancellation where you traveled to the Pt and they did not answer the door or charge that to a teletherapy client who did not “show”?I have had now 2 similar scenarios like this, this week, and prior to this week had very few cancellations! I traveled to the patient In one scenario and the other was me rushing home to make It in time for a telehealth appt where the patient did not “show.”
Currently, I have a $40 cancellation fee within 24 hours of the appt time but these scenarios seem extraneous.I have other patients really wanting (and would benefit from) another session per week but I don’t have time in my schedule to accommodate them and then have these folks did not show! Would appreciate others’ response to this who have had similar scenarios.”
Cancellation No Show Policy Medicare Answer:
Yes, contracted Medicare providers are allowed to charge a cancellation or no show fee for physical therapy, occupational therapy services. See CMS guidance on this topic below.
“CMS policy allows physicians, providers, and suppliers to charge Medicare beneficiaries for missed appointments, provided that they do not discriminate against Medicare beneficiaries but also charge non-Medicare patients for missed appointments and the charges for Medicare and non-Medicare patient are the same.”
Facebook Group Responses
“My written policy is full fee charged for a cancellation with <24hr notice.
Personally I do not enforce it if someone cancels the morning of their appointment because they woke up sick/had a family emergency/etc.
I have enforced it when someone called to cancel when I was a minute from their house, or when I got there and their spouse said they weren’t home.”
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“I’ve been brainstorming this all week. I had like 6 cancelations within 24 hours. Most were me texting to confirm the night before and them saying “oh yea I won’t be able to make it”. Which is frustrating because I waited to schedule new evals foe thr following week because I was too full this week. I’m coming down to adding a cancelation policy on my consent form and including a credit card hold so I can charge it in this event. I’m thinking a $50 fee.”
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“I’m in a clinic based setting now but when I traveled I did charge full fee for no show via telehealth or in person. I had a very specific cancellation policy that the families signed. After two no shows I wrote in that I could discharge. I also included in my policy how long I would wait for client before I considered it a no show. Hope that helps and best of luck. It’s your time and you should totally value it and so should your clients. Of course things happen and you could’ve been seeing someone else during that time or doing something else with your time. I found in my many years of treating that setting clear firm policies is the best way to get people into good practices.”
Anthony Maritato, PT
Private Practice Owner / Physical Therapist
After starting a private practice physical therapy clinic in 2022 with his wife Kathy Maritato, PT, Tony and Kathy grew their practice to five locations across two states.
Now, Tony and Kathy enjoy spending time treating patients in the morning, coaching therapists in the evening, and being home to play with their dog Tucker and 4 boys.