Athletic Training and Third Party Reimbursement

Athletic trainers keep repeating the same worn out line:

“We can’t move forward until we have third-party reimbursement.”

But here’s the problem…

👉 That’s no longer is a valid complaint.

🧾 The Reality No One Talks About

There are already states where athletic trainers are actively utilizing third-party reimbursement pathways, including:

Indiana

Wisconsin

Vermont

Missouri

Georgia

And beyond that…

👉 Most state practice acts already allow ATs to provide billable physical medicine & rehabilitation services—at least in some capacity.

👉 Some states have even pushed legislation requiring insurers to reimburse AT services similarly to other providers (e.g., Missouri).

⚠️ So Why Isn’t Everyone Doing It?

Because reimbursement has never been a yes/no issue. It’s:

State-dependent

System-dependent

Relationship-dependent

👉 The biggest barrier isn’t legality…

👉 It’s implementation.

Even within states where it’s possible, only a small percentage of ATs are actually billing successfully.

Where Does National Athletic Trainers'​ Association Fit into the Equation?

To be clear: NATA has absolutely been involved.

They’ve: Built reimbursement frameworks

Published billing guidance aligned with healthcare policy

Provided step-by-step roadmaps for implementation

And yes—They’ve even hosted Third Party Reimbursement Boot Camps in states like:

Missouri

Connecticut

Michigan

New Mexico

Wisconsin

Minnesota

Utah

Virginia

Nebraska

Indiana

Illinois

Florida

South Carolina

🚫 But Here’s the Misconception

NATA is not the catalyst for reimbursement in each state.

They don’t:

Pass state legislation

Control Medicaid policy

Dictate commercial payer behavior

👉 That happens at the state level—driven by:

State associations

Local advocacy

Health systems

Individual athletic trainers building models that work

🔥 The Uncomfortable Truth

We’ve been waiting for a national solution…to a state-level problem.

And in doing so, the profession has defaulted to:

“We can’t bill”

Instead of asking:

“Why aren’t we using the pathways that already exist?”

This isn’t about whether reimbursement exists.

👉 It’s about whether we’re willing to:

Learn the system

Build referral relationships

Integrate into healthcare models

Operate like other reimbursed providers

Athletic training doesn’t have a reimbursement access problem.

👉 It has an execution problem.

And until that shifts…We’ll keep repeating the same excuse—while pockets of the profession quietly move ahead without us.

Third-party reimbursement won’t solve all the problems—but it creates more opportunities:

Expanded access to patient populations

Increased legitimacy in healthcare as recognized providers

More standardized practice

Sustainable revenue models

Improved continuity of care

Ability to generate measurable outcomes and prove value

Stronger professional leverage as revenue-generating providers

Greater opportunity for entrepreneurship