PRIVATE PRACTICE - AC25 - The Cash Pay Revolution: Innovative Payment Models in Physical Therapy
Recorded On: 11/12/2025
.1 CEUs/ 1.0 Contact Hours
Course Level: Intermediate
Who really pays for physical therapy? While insurance companies often seem to hold the keys, they’re merely intermediaries. The true payors are employers, patients, and communities. This session challenges attendees to rethink traditional payment systems and explore innovative models such as programmatic cash pay, bundled payments, subscription plans, and preventative services.
The session will include real-world case studies of cash-pay models successfully implemented in private practices, showcasing solutions for practices of various sizes. Participants will gain strategies to create a hybrid approach that balances insurance-driven income with diversified cash pay options. This is not about abandoning insurance contracts but rather about finding the right mix to improve net rates, enhance access and affordability for patients, and support community care.
The goal is to empower practices to diversify their revenue streams, expand offerings, and overcome the many barriers imposed by insurance companies. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable tools to monetize value-added services, trial new payment models, and navigate the complexities of healthcare payment systems, all while staying true to their mission of supporting local communities.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Differentiate insurance, employer, and consumer payment models.
- Identify alternative direct cash pay models, including programmatic payments, bundled services, and subscriptions.
- Explore strategies to enhance the patient experience and reduce insurance barriers.
- Learn how to integrate expanded professional services, such as nutrition and exercise physiology.
- Develop actionable plans to trial and implement direct care models that improve financial outcomes.
Scott Hebert, PT, DPT
CEO
Second Door Health
Scott Hebert is a serial entrepreneur, innovator, and respected leader in the field of PT. Holding a doctorate in physical therapy from Quinnipiac University in CT, he carries with him a deep commitment to revolutionizing patient care and the business of Physical Therapy.
Scott is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Second Door Health, a groundbreaking direct care platform that liberates practices from traditional insurance-only models of reimbursement and fosters a direct link between practices and local employers and consumers.
Prior to Second Door, Scott co-founded and served as CEO of Strive Labs, the PT industry's leading Patient Relationship Management system, a tool used by 1 in 3 physical therapy clinics in the U.S. and over 20 million patients nationwide. Strive Labs was acquired by WebPT in 2017. While at WebPT, Scott was responsible for launching numerous high-impact products, including WebPT Reach, WebPT HEP, WebPT Local, WebPT Virtual Visits, and WebPT Digital Patient Intake.
Disclosure(s): Second Door Health: Employment (Ongoing); WebPT: Ownership Interest ( includes stock, stock options, patent or other intellectual property) (Ongoing)
Michelle Babcock
PT, MSPT
Spooner
Michelle Babcock serves as the Chief Experience Officer at Spooner, a multi-state orthopedic and sports medicine private practice spanning 27 clinics in Arizona and Texas. With a fervent belief in the transformative impact of physical therapists on societal health, Michelle is dedicated to showcasing their expertise as vital movement specialists within the community and healthcare system.
Renowned for her innate ability to forge connections and nurture relationships, Michelle thrives in guiding and mentoring therapists, fostering their growth and contributions to the profession. Her extensive professional journey encompasses roles as a staff therapist, clinic director, and executive leader at Spooner.
Michelle's speaking engagements underscore her commitment to sharing insights on leveraging patient loyalty to enhance revenue and health outcomes:
- 2018 PPS National Conference: “How to Leverage Patient Loyalty to Improve Revenue”; Babcock, Hebert, Klepps.
- 2019 HAS: “Happy, Healthy, and Loyal: Improving Revenue and Health Outcomes with Patient Loyalty Tracking”; Babcock, Olsen.
- 2020 HIMSS: “Improving Revenue and Outcomes with Patient Loyalty Tracking”; Babcock, Hebert
Her academic credentials include a BS in Exercise Science from Wake Forest University and an MS in Physical Therapy from the University of Rhode Island.
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