Mike and Kathy exemplify the "AT in the Capitalist Economy." Share in the discussion and consider if being an AT business owner is right for you.

Mike, what does “Capitalist Economy AT” mean to you?

What can an AT do and what is the value of our skillset?

Will people pay you for your services?

We are bridging the gap and speaking directly to the public.

Live the American dream

This is all about advocacy for me.

17 years ago I started my business D&D Sports medicine.

I am worth being paid for the services I am providing.

Part of our COPA committee is developing resources for the capitalist AT.

Kathy as a business owner where do you see us going?

We have become so diverse.

Pandemic has caused a lot of ATs to try running their own business.

Helping with reimbursement even though “cash is King”

Reimbursement opens the doors wider.

When the poop hit the fan and sports stopped the earth shook.

I made the decision 7 years ago to go out on my own.

I try to look at my business as telling the athletes how they can get better.

How can we do this to positively impact the profession?

This entrepreneur road is a great way to keep good ATS here.

Kathy - I have been a mentor each time I switched jobs out of a sense of duty.

I constantly get questions about how they can follow my path.

“First guy through the fence always gets a little bloody...I was that first guy” - Mike Stella

Knowing your “why” is crucial.

When I am faced with making a business decision I go back to my core values and see if it fits.

State practice ascites were written 20-30 years ago and when ATs were only in sports settings.

We need to update them to include a lot of the new settings.

READ your state practice act and have a good understanding of it.

Standing Orders: keep or trash them and why?

Kathy - What we are seeing is a result of a profession that has always worked under the supervision of a physician.

In the medical community, there are a lot of providers working under a physician.

Mike - Having the medical team in place is important.

Working under a physician puts the thumb on us and creates an automatic glass ceiling.

I was told, “You can not start a business because you can not hire my boss.”

The doctors I worked with decided they wanted a piece of the pie.

Now we have to jump through hoops that a massage therapist does not with one year of training.

“If we want a different solution or answer then we have to ask different questions.”

Access to insurance billing, does it hurt or help, and why?

CMS recognition helps as a sign of credibility

Do you lose some patients who want to bill insurance?

As it stands right now ATs are an expense item on the budget where as PT and Chiro generate revenue