New Physical Therapy Findings Has Been Reported by Investigators at Northwell Health (Medicaid-insured Patients Exhibit Similar Improvements In Knee Range of Motion Compared To Commercially Insured Patients Despite Inferior Access To Physical …): Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine – Physical Therapy

2025 AUG 08 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Investigators publish new report on Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine - Physical Therapy. According to news reporting originating in New Hyde Park, New York, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “Insurance status has been shown to impact clinical outcomes after several orthopaedic procedures. Current evidence examining the role of insurance provider on outcomes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is limited.”

The news reporters obtained a quote from the research from Northwell Health, “Therefore, the purpose of this investigation was to explore the effect that insurance carrier had on physical therapy (PT) access, knee range of motion (ROM), and Knee Outcome Survey (KOS) scores. A retrospective cohort study identified patients who underwent ACL reconstruction at an academic health system from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021. Patients were partitioned into two cohorts based on their insurance provider: Managed care (MC) or commercial (COM). Outcomes recorded change in knee active range of motion (AROM), passive ROM (PROM), KOS score, and reason for conclusion of PT. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed by chi-squared tests, Welch’s t -tests, as well as multivariable logistic and linear regression with Bonferroni corrections applied to control the family-wise error rate. The study cohort included 149 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction and completed rehabilitation within affiliated PT locations. The MC cohort experienced a longer time until the first PT visit, shorter duration of PT, fewer total PT visits as well as insurance-authorized visits, and a smaller maximum number of visits per patient’s benefit. However, there was no difference between cohorts in the number of visits divided over the treatment duration or the number of visits attended over the total number authorized. Both the groups displayed statistically similar improvements in AROM, PROM, and KOS in addition to comparable reasons for concluding PT. Furthermore, regression demonstrated that no insurance parameter predicted changes in AROM, PROM, KOS, or reason for concluding PT. MC-provided patients who underwent ACL reconstruction had inferior access to PT compared with those insured by COM. However, MC and COM yielded a similar percentage utilization of authorized PT visits and number of insurance denials leading to early PT termination.”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Both the cohorts also demonstrated similar improvements in AROM, PROM, and KOS.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Medicaid-insured Patients Exhibit Similar Improvements In Knee Range of Motion Compared To Commercially Insured Patients Despite Inferior Access To Physical Therapy Following Acl Reconstruction. The Journal of Knee Surgery, 2025. The Journal of Knee Surgery can be contacted at: Georg Thieme Verlag Kg, Rudigerstr 14, D-70469 Stuttgart, Germany.

Our news correspondents report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Andrew D. Goodwillie, Northwell Health, Dept. of Orthopedic Surgery, New Hyde Park, NY, United States. Additional authors for this research include Eric V. Neufeld, John M. Tarazi, Catherine Wickes, Brandon J. Klein, Randy M. Cohn and Melissa A. Colleluori.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2640-3314. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

(Our reports deliver fact-based news of research and discoveries from around the world.)