Brittany Ferri

Social anxiety disorder is a common mental health condition that causes someone to experience significant anxiety from socialization. Social anxiety disorder, previously known as social phobia, stems from a fear of embarrassment, judgment, or other negative responses from people.
When someone develops this fear, their emotional discomfort often leads them to avoid social interactions. Therefore, it is common for someone with social anxiety disorder to withdraw from others around them. This no...

Of the many changes trending in the past year, deductible-free health insurance plans are among the most appealing to consumers. A growing number of insurers are attempting to use these member-targeted plans to draw in more enrollees. But other insurers may be wondering how this decision may or may not affect their profitability. What are the cases for and against this type of plan?
Drawbacks to No-Deductible Health Plans
Deductibles have notoriously led members to rethink their need to seek ...

The prevalence of diabetes is projected to increase globally in the next several years, so the likelihood of OTs and OTAs treating patients with this chronic condition is quite high. In order to effectively treat diabetes, occupational therapists must not only understand the mechanisms of the condition and its symptomatology but also assist with a range of interventions for a well-rounded approach. Diabetes requires healthcare intervention in primary, secondary, and tertiary stages. From a rehabilitative lens, OT can intervene in creating healthy habits, managing diabetes symptoms, and more.

There are many reasons occupational therapists must demonstrate cultural competence in the services they provide. Firstly, sexual orientation is one of many personal factors that impact occupational participation as well as someone’s mental health, marginalization, and accessibility. In addition, cultural competence allows healthcare professionals to offer equitable care to the LGBTQ+ community and other diverse populations. Cultural competence intersects quite a bit with a therapist’s ability to address concerns.

The occupational therapy profession is grounded in equitable, inclusive, and patient-centered care. This extends to individuals who are gender nonconforming or genderqueer. As a result, all of occupational therapy practice should be accommodating of gender-specific needs. Gender-affirming care is also within an OT’s scope of practice, as gender identity is considered a client factor that can impact meaningful occupational engagement.

With 2024 behind us and year-end calculations being shared, many payers found the numbers are not in their favor. In particular, seven major players in the health insurance industry saw their profits decline an average of 3.3% during Q3 of last year.
Several factors have contributed to these higher medical loss ratios, including increased pharmaceutical spending (specifically for specialty drugs), the continually rising cost of medical care, and higher utilization rates – which have steadily ...

Social determinants of health apply to patients across the lifespan, with any medical conditions, and in any practice setting. Evidence shows that social determinants of health have a major impact on a person’s well-being and quality of life. For this reason, OTs and many other healthcare professionals are trained to assess the social determinants of health that pertain to each of their patients. By looking at social determinants of health in all situations, therapists are better equipped to understand and address the full scope of their patient’s health concerns.

With the new year upon us, many people are focused on weight loss and weight management. This is an apt resolution for many, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found obesity rates are over 39% in each adult age group. Understandably, many insurers are striving to expand covered services for weight loss due to their role in preventing many chronic health conditions such as cancer, hypertension, and diabetes.
Weight loss drug coverage
Reimbursement for drugs such as GLP-1 agonist...

Many lay persons may assume occupational therapists and other rehabilitation providers don’t have a place in a practice area such as palliative care. And, even within the healthcare field, the work OTs do within palliative care is often misunderstood. However, OTs have an essential role in palliative care: improving quality of life and continuing to promote independence as well as occupational engagement for individuals with life-limiting conditions. Occupational therapists may use remediatory and compensatory approaches for individuals who receive palliative care OT services.

With an aging United States population, there is a significant need to support older adults. This means there is a high demand for healthcare professionals and support workers to care for individuals in institutions such as hospitals, nursing facilities, assisted living, and long-term care facilities. However, many older adults are increasingly interested in remaining in their homes as they age. Therefore, they require a range of environmental modifications and assistive technology in this setting to ensure their safety and well-being.

Sensory-based interventions are a common modality in pediatric occupational therapy. This is mostly because of how often sensory concerns co-occur with developmental delays and neurodevelopmental conditions such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, and intellectual disabilities. As a result, much of the evidence surrounding sensory integration is focused on children and adolescents. However, therapists know that sensory factors can impact the well-being of patients of any age and with any condition.

Experts predict community health insurance providers will lose a substantial amount of funds as the year comes to a close. The Alliance of Community Health Plans expects these insurers to miss out on hundreds of millions in reimbursement resulting from a lack of recent Medicaid rate adjustments.
Rates have remained the same
Reports show that many states used pre-pandemic data to inform their Medicaid rates. According to Nick Felici, Director of Network Development & Analytics at TOG Network S...

For nearly every state, November 1st marked the start of open enrollment season. This was met with mixed responses from some since many subscribers are still adjusting to the news of upcoming Medicare changes. In September, Medicare recipients learned their premiums would be rising in the new year, but they will see some savings in prescription medications with a new out-of-pocket maximum and caps on some of the priciest drugs.
Who is impacted?
It appears that Medicare Advantage (MA) members ...

Just a few weeks ago, new legislation was finalized that stands to impact subscriber benefits in the behavioral health arena. This set of regulations is closely aligned with federal legislation, namely, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA), as well as state-specific laws, such as the Mental Health Parity Act in California, which was expanded in 2021.
Many patients report encountering a range of barriers in accessing mental health care since the MHPAEA was enacted in 2008...

The discussion of caseload versus workload hones in on the job duties of school-based therapists, including OTs, SLPs, PTs, audiologists, assistive technology providers (ATPs), psychologists, and other related service providers. More specifically, caseload and workload have become distinct approaches to treatment in a school-based setting. There is a growing basis of evidence that the workload approach is more effective than the caseload approach for a variety of reasons.