The True Cost of Physical Therapy: Why Where You Go Matters

Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are one of the most common and costly health challenges employers are facing today, impacting everything from healthcare spending to employee productivity. While physical therapy can be a solution to reducing spend, focusing solely on the price per visit doesn’t reveal the full picture. Where and how care is delivered can have a major impact on overall MSK spending, recovery time, and member outcomes.  

That’s why it’s essential for organizations to view physical therapy not just as a clinical service, but as a strategic investment. When delivered effectively at an onsite or nearsite wellness center, physical therapy can generate measurable value across an organization. In this blog, we’ll explore how direct healthcare models help streamline care, reduce waste, and ultimately save organizations time and money when it comes to MSK injuries. 

The Hidden Drivers of Physical Therapy Spend 

When evaluating physical therapy, many organizations start by focusing solely on the cost per session. However, this narrow approach often overlooks the key factors that influence overall spending and care outcomes. In truth, the total cost is driven less by the price of each visit and more by timely access, the quality of care, and the potential for unnecessary escalation of treatment. 

Consider a common scenario: a member develops mild but persistent back pain after a weekend home improvement project. Under a traditional care model, they may first need to see a primary care provider for a referral, wait days or even weeks for an appointment at a community clinic, and attend multiple sessions, often during work hours. Without timely access to the right provider, symptoms can worsen, turning a minor issue into a major one that requires imaging, injections, or even surgery.  

These delays don’t just affect clinical outcomes; they also drive-up indirect costs for employers. Time off for appointments, reduced productivity, and frustration with a disjointed care experience all add up. And when treatment takes place in high-volume clinics with limited continuity or coordination, results can vary significantly. 

What Employers Should be Measuring 

It’s time for employers to look beyond traditional metrics and truly track the value and costs of physical therapy. The real question isn’t how much each session costs, but whether the care being delivered is helping members recover faster, with fewer complications, and at a lower overall cost. To better understand how physical therapy is working or not working for your member population, consider evaluating: 

• How quickly members can access care 

• How many visits it takes to resolve a condition 

• How often cases escalate to imaging, surgery, or other high-cost interventions 

• How quickly members are able to return to their normal routines 

These metrics reflect actual health outcomes and financial value, offering a more accurate view of whether a physical therapy program is truly supporting recovery rather than simply extending the process. By measuring what truly matters, organizations gain a clearer picture of where care is excelling, where it’s falling short, and where there’s room for improvement. This kind of insight drives smarter decisions, better outcomes, and a stronger, more resilient workforce. 

Implementing a More Accessible Physical Therapy Model 

Recognizing these challenges, many employers are rethinking how physical therapy is delivered by bringing it closer to the workforce. By offering onsite or nearsite access, organizations remove common barriers to care, allowing members to receive help faster and more conveniently. Direct access to physical therapy eliminates the need for referrals, reduces wait times, and empowers members to take charge of their recovery earlier, often before issues escalate. 

This proximity also fosters stronger engagement. When care is easily accessible, members are more likely to follow through on treatment and see better results. One-on-one sessions with licensed therapists ensure that care is personalized and focused, rather than rushed or generic. And because treatment happens within a connected environment, there’s greater continuity, members won’t have to bounce between disconnected providers or attend unnecessary repeat visits. 

The result? Fewer escalations and better outcomes. Early intervention helps prevent the need for MRIs, specialist consults, or surgeries, driving significant savings on a per-case basis. For employers, this means lower costs, faster recoveries, and a healthier, more productive workforce. 

What Employers Can Do Now 

If you’re evaluating your current approach to physical therapy, consider starting with a basic audit. Where are your members going for care? How long are they waiting to begin treatment? These questions can reveal patterns that might be contributing to higher costs or longer recovery times. From there, consider what barriers might be preventing members from receiving the right care at the right time. Are appointments easy to schedule? Is care offered in a way that fits into members’ routines? Onsite and nearsite physical therapy helps eliminate many of these challenges while improving consistency in the delivery of care. 

Most importantly, start tracking outcomes, not just visits. Instead of focusing solely on the number of sessions, shift to what those sessions actually achieve. Metrics like time to recovery, condition resolution, and reduced reliance on more expensive treatments provide a clearer picture of how effective and efficient your current approach really is. 

Making these changes doesn’t require a complete overhaul. It starts with asking better questions and using the answers to guide smarter, more informed decisions about how physical therapy fits into your broader health strategy. 

Moving Towards Better Outcomes 

Physical therapy plays a crucial role in musculoskeletal care, but its full potential is only realized when it’s delivered efficiently, conveniently, and proactively. At Premise, we don’t just deliver physical therapy; we deliver measurable outcomes. Our direct access care models are specifically designed to reduce overall MSK spend, accelerate recovery, and keep your workforce healthy, strong, and productive. Premise Health uses validated outcomes data to measure the impact of our musculoskeletal services, and the results speak for themselves. Our physical therapists and chiropractors help members achieve greater improvements in physical function compared to community-based care, and they do it in nearly four fewer visits on average. This efficiency translates into an average indirect cost avoidance of $329.80 per episode of care. The result: better outcomes, fewer visits, and greater financial value. 

If you’re ready to move beyond fragmented community care and partner with a provider who integrates physical therapy into a broader, coordinated healthcare strategy, contact us today to learn how we can help you achieve better outcomes for your organization.