The PT Assistants

Sign up for our free PTA resource library: https://the-pt-assistants.kit.com/b1f41f6a09
Heads up: Since recording, CMS finalized CJR-X with a start date of January 1, 2028 (not October 2027), and a new proposed rule would restrict RTM billing to direct employees only — limiting the third-party model we discussed. The core concepts and career implications still apply. See the links below for the latest.
RTM and CJR-X — two policy changes most PTAs haven't heard of. Ken and Laura break down what they are, why they're happening, and why they're the same story: CJR-X creates a 90-day accountability window, RTM is the tool for monitoring it.
Resources:
CMS — RTM: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/therapy-services
CMS — CJR-X: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/innovation-models/cjr-x
RTM 2027 Proposed Rule summary: https://www.nixonpeabody.com/insights/alerts/2026/07/22/medicare-proposes-changes-to-remote-patient-monitoring-and-remote-therapeutic-monitoring-services

Sign up to stay in the know for everything PTA related: https://the-pt-assistants.kit.com/b1f41f6a09
What happens when the healthcare knowledge you've built your career on can't protect the people you love most?
In this episode, Laura shares what happened when her brother-in-law was critically injured in a car accident — and what it actually felt like to be a PTA in the waiting room. Ken adds his own experience navigating care as a new parent. Together they unpack the emotional challenge of separating clinician from family member, how to advocate without becoming "the challenging family member," what the No Surprises Act means for out-of-network hospital billing, and why the hardest boundary is sometimes the one you set on yourself.
Your clinical knowledge is a tool. But knowing how to use it when it's personal — that's a different skill entirely.

📬 Stay up to date with new episodes → https://the-pt-assistants.kit.com/b1f41f6a09
PT practice has shifted in the last five years — from the heavy manual era, through the exercise revolution, to where we are now. In this episode, Ken and Laura break down what actually changed, what the JOSPT's June 2026 research means for how we justify our treatment choices, and what's coming next.
Manual didn't lose. Exercise didn't win. The research says use your judgment — and we talk about what that looks like in home health and outpatient.
Plus: RTM codes got rebuilt in 2026 (CPT 98985), CJR-X could flood home health with joint replacement patients by 2027, and AI documentation tools are reporting 35–50% time savings.
Three actionable takeaways for working PTAs. New episodes every other Tuesday.
📄 JOSPT June 2026 Article

Every PTA has felt it — the PT who treats you like an aide instead of a licensed clinician. This week, Ken and Laura name what the field doesn't say out loud: your supervising PT is your coworker, not your boss.
They break down what clinical supervision actually means, why it constantly gets confused with workplace management, and how to spot the difference before you accept a position where that line gets crossed.
Walk away with a concrete framework, a job-interview question that changes how you evaluate employers, and a sharper read on your own PTA identity and scope.
Follow us @thePTassistants on Instagram and tell us your PT-PTA story.
📬 Love the show? Get more between episodes. Once a month we send PTAs everything in one place — new episodes, videos, free study resources, and what's actually moving in the field. Free, no spam.
🎙️ Join the newsletter → Newsletter sign up!

A "good vs. best therapist" reel got under Laura's skin — and honestly, same. In this episode, Kenny and Laura unpack why social media content keeps making clinicians feel like they're not doing enough, even when they're doing everything right. They talk comparison culture, misinformation, the pressure of being a creator, and how to actually use social media in a way that builds your career instead of quietly eroding your confidence. Practical tips, honest opinions, and Laura has some news that'll make you proud to be a PTA.
🎧 Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean.📸 Instagram: @thePTassistants▶️ YouTube: thePTassistants
Have social media helped or hurt your career? Tell us.

Her fourth Achilles surgery was supposed to be the last one. Recovery was supposed to take six weeks. It took eight months — and that was only part of it.
While she was trying to get back on her feet, something happened. Something that got put on hold, then pushed back again, then went sideways in December. Something she's talking about publicly for the first time.
She came back to work differently. New role, new specialties, a new way of seeing the patients sitting across from her — especially the ones dealing with pain that doesn't follow the textbook.
And Kenny has one surprise question at the end. Her answer might be the most useful thing in the episode.
Next week we're getting into something we couldn't agree on over text — social media in healthcare. Come ready with opinions.
New episodes every other Tuesday. Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Podbean. Follow @thePTassistants on Instagram.

Starting an LLC as a PTA, treating blind patients in home health, and what a startup shutdown looks like from the inside — Kenny covers two years of non-traditional career moves in one episode.
Kenny left his first outpatient clinic for a startup, moved into an unexpected clinical director role when one of the owners left, and then watched the whole thing shut down in 30 days — on his birthday. From there he turned down three job offers and started his own LLC as a home health contractor while navigating new fatherhood.
In this episode:
What treating a 100% blind home health patient actually looks like — no demonstrations, all verbal and tactile cues
The flexibility scales: why inconsistent income can be worth it when you have a family to work around
What starting an LLC as a PTA actually involves, and what nobody teaches you in school
The mortgage reveal: the one thing he wishes someone had warned him about before he became tax-efficient as an LLC contractor
Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean.
Timestamps:(0:00) Two years ago, a job, a newborn, and a clinic that shut down(0:30) Intro — back after hiatus(1:30) Why he left — startup leap(2:50) Co-owner split, Kenny steps up(5:30) The shutdown — 30-day notice(8:00) Job search — three offers(10:30) Decision to start LLC(16:30) Home health — day to day(17:30) Treating a 100% blind patient(19:30) New grads and home health(21:00) Flexibility — why he stayed(25:00) Fatherhood and the clinician(29:00) Business literacy, ceilings for PTAs(30:00) The mortgage reveal(33:00) Still happy being a PTA?
 

We're back — and we have a LOT to catch up on. After an unplanned two-year hiatus, Laura and Ken are returning to explain everything that happened: a new baby, a fourth surgery with complications, startup closures, an LLC, home health, per diem life, IVF, lymphedema, and a walking cast just last week. This episode is a raw, honest recap of the last two years and a look at what's coming next. New episodes every other Tuesday morning — we're not going anywhere.
 
Time
Title
Description
0:00
Intro — "Returning to the Scene of the Crime"
The hosts acknowledge the two-year gap and ease back into recording mode.
~1:30
Ken's Recap — New Dad Life
Baby arrived, now waking him up at 6:30 AM daily. She is the boss.
~2:30
Ken's Career Journey — Startup to Home Health
From high-volume clinic burnout, to a startup closing, to launching his own LLC as a home health contractor.
~5:30
Laura's Recap — Fourth Surgery & Recovery
February 2024 surgery, wound healing complications, out of work until October. The long road back.
~8:00
Laura — Going Per Diem & IVF
Choosing quality of life over full-time hours, working 3x/week, navigating IVF alongside a chronic condition.
~10:00
Living with Chronic Pain — A New Perspective
Laura's January flare-up put her back on crutches; just got out of a walking cast the week of recording.
~11:30
Laura's New Role — Lymphedema Therapy
Adding lymphedema to her caseload as a sustainable specialty — mostly seated, one-on-one with patients.
~13:00
Setting Realistic Expectations for the Pod
Biweekly episodes, Tuesday morning releases, and why this time will be different.
~14:30
Wrap-Up — What's Coming Next
Teasing deeper dives: home health, per diem, lymphedema, chronic pain as a clinician, and more.
 
#PTApodcast #physicaltherapyassistant #PTAlife #clinicianburnout #homehealth #lymphedema #werehback #chronicpain