The Case

This month’s case doesn’t dive into a professional conduct case. Instead, we’ll take a closer look at an all-too-common situation for Physiotherapy Residents and new physiotherapists.

The College Practice Advisor received a call from a PT Resident who was looking for advice about a challenging situation with their employer.   

The PT Resident had been working at a multi-disciplinary clinic for approximately two months. One day the PT Resident asked their employer for access to all the invoices that used their name and registration number. The PT Resident planned to conduct an audit of the invoices to ensure they were accurate.

Unfortunately, the employer was reluctant to give the PT Resident access to the financial records. Instead, the employer assured the PT Resident that the administrative staff at the clinic handled all the financial records and reviewed them for accuracy.

Although the PT Resident knew that this decision wasn’t right, they didn’t feel comfortable questioning their employer further. The PT Resident was worried about how their name and registration number were being used, but they didn’t want to risk their first job. They decided to call the Practice Advisor to discuss the situation.

The Standards

This is a challenging scenario for any physiotherapist, particularly someone in their first physiotherapy job.

The Practice Advisor recommended that the PT Resident share a copy of the Fees, Billing and Accounts Standard with their employer, who may not be aware of the professional obligations for a physiotherapist. 

The standard specifies that PTs (including PT Residents) are responsible for ensuring that any fee, billing or account that uses their name and registration number is an accurate reflection of the services/products provided. Additionally, PTs must have a written process for routinely reviewing their fees, billing and accounts. If any errors are identified during the review, they must take reasonable steps to correct the inaccuracy and document the error, the action taken to address it, and the outcome.

The Outcome

The PT Resident called the Practice Advisor a few weeks later to provide an update. They had spoken with their employer and explained the requirements of the Fees, Billing and Accounts Standard. The employer apologized and said they did not realize that physiotherapists were responsible for billing accuracy. The employer agreed to the give the PT Resident a copy of any invoices with their name and registration number on a weekly basis.

While this situation had a positive outcome for the PT Resident, not all situations are the same. Remember that physiotherapists and PT Residents are responsible for any fee, billing or account that uses their name and registration number. Be careful who you decide to work for. If your employer is not receptive to making changes even after you explain the rules and responsibilities of a PT, you should consider if that job is the best option for you.

The Practice Advisors are always available to help physiotherapists and PT Residents work through similar situations so be sure to give them a call at 1-800-583-5885 (extension 241).

Fees, Billing and Accounts Standard

Written Process for Auditing Billing