FAQs

What are your privacy practices?

• Please see P.ilaT.es’ full text version of “Notice of Privacy Practices” posted online for every client’s convenience.  A paper copy may be obtained by clients upon request.

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How do I schedule my first appointment?

• To set up a first appointment, please book online by selecting “Book Now” in the header above, or any “Book Now” button on this website. Select the appropriate service, and follow the prompts to select a convenient time for your schedule.
• Or you may also contact Magda directly at 510-545-6586, or at magda@ptpracticepilates.com to find out more information, or ask her to book your first appointment. Payment is required at your first session.

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Is there required paperwork for first appointments?

• Yes. You will be seeing a licensed physical therapist so she is required to give you specific consent and intake forms to fill out, and she must do appropriate screenings. After scheduling your initial appointment for Physical Therapy Rehabilitation, or Pilates/Health & Wellness Services, you will be e-mailed a link to fill out the required consent and intake forms prior to your first visit.
• Please use the link to log onto our secure system and fill out the required intake package completely prior to your first visit. This will allow Magda to review your case prior to your first session, to optimize her time spent with you.
• If you do not want to complete the forms online, you can print them out and hand them directly to her at the beginning of the first appointment.

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What should I expect on my first visit?

• Prior to your first visit, please fill out the required new client intake forms. (See question above for specifics.)
• Please bring comfortable clothes to work or move in. For Physical Therapy Rehab, please select clothing that will allow for the injury or area of dysfunction to be assessed easily.
• Magda will meet with you, review your paperwork, and you will continue with a tailored plan of care suited for your unique needs, after your P.T. rehab or Pilates assessment.
• The first appointment for Physical Therapy Rehabilitation is always a P.T. evaluation. Magda will review your paperwork, ask you questions about your problem, and then will continue to conduct her assessment and testing. At the end of the evaluation, Magda will explain her findings and give you an idea of what to expect for your rehab course. In most cases, a treatment time is also included at the end of the appointment. The next session will be a full treatment session based on the findings in the evaluation.
• For clients doing Pilates (Health/Wellness services,) Magda will review your paperwork, ask you questions regarding your needs & goals, observe your movement patterns and then provide you with comprehensive Pilates workouts tailored to your body’s needs. Equipment that may be used is: the Reformer, the Cadillac, Stability Chair, Arc Barrel, Spine Corrector, and/or mat exercises. Various small exercise equipment and props may be also used as needed. At this first visit, Magda will also screen you for appropriateness for wellness visits as required by law. If it is determined that you have a problem that requires a more extensive physical therapy rehabilitation, or that you have an issue that needs further medical evaluation, then she will relay her findings to you and take appropriate steps such as recommending physical therapy rehabilitation, or referring you to your (or another appropriate) physician for further evaluation.
• All visits at P.ilaT.es are 55 minutes, including the time needed to obtain payment and book your next appointment.

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What is the difference between Physical Therapy Rehabilitation and Pilates/Health & Wellness Sessions at P.ilaT.es?

• In both cases you will be seen by Magda Boulay, DPT, a licensed physical therapist.
• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation will be focused on a specific injury or dysfunction which is typically more acute, severe, irritable and/or limiting, which has not undergone a course of rehabilitation, or has failed past courses of rehabilitation. Magda will conduct a thorough physical therapy evaluation and assessment, focusing not only on alleviating the symptoms, but also determining the root cause(s) of the dysfunction so that the symptoms not only resolve, but the dysfunction that causes the problem will be optimally corrected. She will employ a diverse set of hands-on manual physical therapy techniques to address these issues, as appropriate per the individual’s case. Though there is more of a specific focus on injury/injuries in rehabilitation, Magda also takes into account the client’s entire body, because injuries are typically not isolated to one area of the body, but are often affected by surrounding regions. To optimize rehabilitation, the entire body must be taken into account.
• Pilates /Health & Wellness sessions is more generalized on the entire client’s body and condition. Clients may have some “aches and pains”, but generally these clients have undergone rehabilitation courses, or have recovered to a more functional level where these issues are not extremely limiting and do not require rehabilitation.
  In both cases, Magda will also select an appropriate exercise regimen designed uniquely for the needs of you as the client and she will also give extensive client education. Physical Therapy Rehabilitation may also include Pilates exercises as appropriate for the condition.

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Can I come to Physical Therapy Rehabilitation at P.ilaT.es without an M.D. referral?

• Yes. California allows for “limited” direct access for Physical Therapy Rehabilitation. Under California law, you may receive direct physical therapy treatment services for a period of up to 45 calendar days or 12 visits, whichever occurs first, at which time, you will need to be referred back to your physician for a full examination and request for more visits, if needed. At this time, the physician must sign off on the plan of care. Physicians will be notified of your treatment in P.T. after the first visit.
• After the 45 days or 12 visits (whichever comes first,) a physical therapist in California cannot see you until you complete the required steps stated above. For this reason, if you feel your problem may require a more extended timeframe for treatment, it can sometimes make the course of care more simple if you obtain an M.D. referral for physical therapy services for the traditional M.D. referred access to Physical Therapy.

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Can I transition from Physical Therapy Rehabilitation to a Pilates program for wellness when I am better?

• Of course! Magda created P.ilaT.es to offer her professional knowledge, critical-thinking, and keen observational skills to address the varying needs of all individuals, whether they have injuries, or want to improve imbalances or dysfunctions within their bodies. P.ilates offers a unique service that allows for a smooth transition from a more focused rehabilitation on a specific injury, (still taking the entire body into account,) to a more balanced overall body regimen, that also takes into account specific imbalances exhibited by each client.

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Do you take my insurance?

• P.ilaT.es offers cash-pay Physical Therapy services only; it is not contracted with any insurance companies. Magda believes in working directly for her patients and clients, NOT large insurance companies. This allows Magda to use her time more efficiently working entirely to address the needs of her clients, versus being constrained, distracted, and taking important time out her schedule to satisfy rigid insurance stipulations. This allows for a more timely & optimal rehabilitation course for her clients, and allows her to keep overhead costs down, which means less direct costs for her clients.
• Pilates and Health & Wellness services are not typically covered with insurance coverage.

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Can I be reimbursed by my insurance?

• P.ilaT.es is a cash-pay based Physical Therapy Rehabilitation service only and will not contract or work with insurances in any way. If clients would like to be reimbursed for P.T. services through their insurance carriers, P.ilaT.es will provide a superbill at the end of care upon the client’s request so the client can submit to insurance independently. We do not guarantee reimbursement, and we advise clients to research their plans re: reimbursement for services to determine eligibility.
• Some insurances will not pay for Direct Access Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Services, and require an M.D. referral to physical therapy, or an M.D. diagnosis for payment for physical therapy services.

I have Medicare. Can I be seen for Phyiscal Therapy Rehabilitation if I want to pay cash?

• As a cash-pay physical therapy service, P.ilaT.es is unable to provide rehabilitation services to clients who have Medicare due to Medicare legal restrictions & regulations. Clients who have Medicare coverage are welcome to use our Pilates/Health & Wellness services, (if deemed appropriate,) which is not covered by Medicare because it is considered maintenance, and is a health & wellness program.