Why Don't Physiotherapy Clinics Operate On A Tiered Pricing Structure?

Are new grads fully prepared for private practice?

Presumably, this depends on the therapist, however, they are at the very least less qualified than a practitioner who has had 3-4 years more experience. So why do we charge the same for patients to see someone with little experience as someone with years of experience behind them? This article is not about making more money for more experienced therapists, although if this were to happen it might go some way to stem the dropout rates of experienced therapists to other pathways.

The point of tiered payment structures is that patients need to know that all physiotherapists are not equal. A junior therapist simply does not know as much as a senior therapist, yet the public don't seem to be aware of this. How many failures of therapy could be avoided if patients with complex issues such as chronic back pain could pay extra to secure an appointment with a specialist physiotherapist. A new graduate can work with a simple injury and if they find themselves out of their depth refer to a senior therapist with no embarrassment. It's not that they are not good enough, just that this is a more complex case. If patients think all physiotherapists are equal, they might think 'I tried physiotherapy and it didn't work' not, 'I have a more serious issue and need to see a specialist physiotherapists'.

Another issue with standardised pricing is that to increase the revenue of the clinic, employers will increase the rates for the entire clinic, making physiotherapy ultimately unaffordable for some. By having a tiered structure, patients are incentivised to book in with junior therapists, keeping them busier and giving more senior therapists a deserved pay rise.

With standard appointment times, employees gain experience without increasing revenue for the clinics, which means that the only method of providing a pay increase for employees is to increase the commission rate of these therapists. The paradox being that, with all things equal, a more qualified therapist is less profitable for a business owner to employ.

Therapists could also have different prices for priority appointment times between 4-7pm and cheaper appointments for the middle of the day. This will allow those with less money to access cheaper appointments, keeping therapists busier throughout the quieter times of the day.

Many industries operate with a tiered rate, hairdressers, hotels, hospitality, we pay more to see a specialist doctor, so why not physiotherapists?

Do you have a tiered pricing system in your clinic, does it work? If you don't, why not. We'd love to hear what happens in your clinic.

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