Wauneta Care and Therapy Center officials are looking into the possibility of no longer taking Medicaid outpatients for physical therapy.
    Lisa Kisinger, the center’s administrator, said that the facility actually loses money on outpatient services for those who use Medicaid rather than private insurance.
    But she said before the center makes such a change, she needs to determine just how much the current practice costs.
    Most outpatient Medicaid services go to high school athletes who use the center’s physical therapy department while recovering from injuries, Kissinger said. And that only happens two or three times a month.
    The issue came up because Nebraska has turned administration of such services over to private companies called managed care organizations, which determine how much they will reimburse a facility for services rendered.
    Kisinger is currently in the process of putting together figures showing the cost of providing physical therapy and how much the MCOs reimburse the center, but she is certain the reimbursement is less than the cost.

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