Shady Employer Puts PT at Risk  

The College received a report from an insurance company that was investigating a suspicious claim. 

The insurance company discovered a patient who received accident benefits did not have the injuries listed on the insurance forms.  

The physiotherapist was also surprised to learn what had happened. The forms sent to the insurer did not match the ones the physiotherapist had signed – or the information in the patient’s clinical record. The physiotherapist said billing and insurance forms were handled by a different department at the clinic where they worked. It appeared the insurance forms had been altered by that department.  

The Standards  

As stated in the Funding, Fees and Billing Standard, a physiotherapist is responsible for all billing under their registration number. 

In this case, the investigation found the physiotherapist likely did not know about the inappropriate business practices or fraud going on at the clinic. However, that doesn’t change the fact they were still responsible for ensuring the accuracy of billing under their name.  

Doing regular reviews of your billings and invoices helps prevent errors or misuse of your registration number by someone else. That’s why the Funding, Fees and Billing Standard requires all physiotherapists routinely review their fees, billings and accounts.  

You can use the College’s resource Create a Process for Reviewing Your Billing to help develop a process that suits your practice setting.  

Remember, if your employer won’t give you access to your billing and invoices, they’re not allowing you to meet your professional obligations. This is a major red flag – and a job you should probably avoid.  

The Outcome 

The physiotherapist was required to review several resources on fees and billing, and work with a practice enhancement coach.  

Resources