The Cash-Based Practice Podcast

Jarod Carter

Gathering input from many successful cash-based practice owners, this podcast covers all components of starting or transitioning into the out-of-network/private-pay business model for your private practice. Though the host, Jarod Carter PT, DPT, MTC, and many interviewees are physical therapists, this information is applicable to most healthcare, fitness, and wellness-related businesses looking to decrease reliance on 3rd party payors, and increase cash-based revenue streams. We cover a huge number of topics including: practice transition strategies, 3rd party payor contract legalities, Medicare rules and legalities in the cash-based model, referral source diversification, online marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, optimal website design, blogging, Youtube and video marketing, networking skills and strategies, the vital cash-based mindset, phone conversations and conversions, scheduling, discharge marketing, administrative training, low overhead systems and automation, private-pay wellness/fitness/prevention programs, and everything else that involves the self-pay practice model, how it differs from the traditional insurance-based model, and what you need to do to be successful with this low-stress, rewarding type of private practice.

  1. CBP 293: How to Create a Strategic Business Plan for the New Year and Level Up Your Cash Practice

    12/20/2025

    CBP 293: How to Create a Strategic Business Plan for the New Year and Level Up Your Cash Practice

    As the year winds down, most practice owners feel the pull to "look back" and "plan ahead." But too often, that process turns into either a surface-level glance at revenue—or an overwhelming spiral of things you should have done better. That's not helpful. And it's not how you build a practice that actually supports the life you want. In this week's episode, I walk through a more grounded, intentional way to review the past year and plan the next one—starting with a question most business owners skip entirely: What does success actually mean to you? Because if you don't define that first, you're shooting in the dark, and your KPI's and goals could be leading you in the wrong direction. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why success must be defined before reviewing any numbers How to review the past year without burnout or self-judgment Which key performance indicators actually matter in a cash-based model How to use a SWOT analysis in a practical, non-overwhelming way How to turn insights into a realistic plan for the year ahead USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    15 min
  2. CBP 292: How to Turn Any Entry Service Into a Full Plan of Care

    12/13/2025

    CBP 292: How to Turn Any Entry Service Into a Full Plan of Care

    A lot of Cash-Pay practices are doing something very smart right now. They're using entry-point services to get new customers in the door… things like specialty services and modalities (like shockwave therapy, red light sauna, etc), performance-based training, etc. And it works… Ads convert. Promotions fill schedules. New Patients and Revenue comes in. But here's the problem I keep seeing in most practices doing this … They struggle to get these new customers to say 'yes' to everything else that could benefit them. For example: pretty much everyone who would benefit from shockwave to speed healing, could benefit even more by getting physical therapy along with the shockwave. Patients come in for one thing. They buy one thing. They leave … even though they clearly need more. Today's episode is about fixing that. Specifically, how to use a brief, intentional assessment and conversation process to help patients see what they actually need, and eagerly say yes to it. Before you click over to the episode, a quick announcement: I'm hiring at my clinic in Austin and could really use your help. If you know any skilled manual physical therapists in Austin (or who might want to move to Austin) who would love to be paid really well to treat every patient 1-on-1 for a full hour, PLEASE forward this to them or send me an email at Jarod@CarterPT.com.  Click here to see the job post and apply. What You'll Learn in This Episode Why entry-point services create a lopsided schedule, overloaded with clients Not getting your core service, and how to avoid that How to use a short assessment to open patients' eyes The exact language that links services to real outcomes How to eliminate "I just want this one thing" patients Why setting expectations early increases commitment and retention USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    10 min
  3. CBP 291: How One Practice Owner Built a Multi-Location, 7-Figure Practice by Mastering an Underserved Niche

    12/05/2025

    CBP 291: How One Practice Owner Built a Multi-Location, 7-Figure Practice by Mastering an Underserved Niche

    When most clinicians think about scaling, they picture working more hours, taking on more risk, or grinding harder than ever. Jonathan Parr took the opposite path. He built a multi-location, seven-figure, cash-based practice by focusing on a niche most practice owners avoid… and by building systems that made growth predictable instead of overwhelming. If you've ever wondered whether mastering a niche, developing your team, and creating actual freedom is possible in today's environment… …Jonathan's story is proof that it is. What You'll Learn Today How Jonathan built full caseloads in two cities by focusing on an underserved population The training process he uses to turn new grads into highly skilled niche clinicians Why retention skyrocketed once he redesigned schedules, caseloads, and benefits How his internal systems naturally evolved into globally purchased online programs The mindset shift that helped him stop doing everything himself and step into leadership USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    48 min
  4. CBP 290: The Hidden Trend Costing You Patients — and How to Get Them Back

    11/22/2025

    CBP 290: The Hidden Trend Costing You Patients — and How to Get Them Back

    As insurance companies steadily cut Out-of-Network benefits and reimbursement, many Cash-Based practices are really feeling the impact. Patients who once received 40–50% back from self-claims suddenly get zero, and some respond with: "I just can't afford this anymore. I need to use my insurance." It's frustrating. It feels out of your control. And yes—this trend is growing nationwide. But here's the part most practices NEVER realize: You can win back a lot of these patients—if your follow-up strategy is airtight. That's what this episode breaks down. Before you do though, a quick announcement: I'm hiring at my clinic and could really use your help … If you know of any skilled manual therapists in Austin (or who might want to move to Austin), who would love to be paid really well to treat every patient 1-on-1 for a full hour, PLEASE forward this opportunity to them. You can click HERE to see the job post and apply. What You'll Learn Today Why insurance reimbursement is dropping for Out-of-Network claims How to re-engage patients who left due to insurance changes The exact follow-up script I use The #1 mistake clinics make that destroys retentionHow to automate patient tracking so no one slips through the cracks USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Freedom 2.0

    12 min
  5. CBP 289: How to Rise Above Cash-Based Competition

    11/15/2025

    CBP 289: How to Rise Above Cash-Based Competition

    Competition in the Cash-Based PT world is rising—fast. If it feels like new Private-Pay practices are popping up every month in your area, you're not imagining it. Clinicians are leaving insurance jobs, jumping Out-of-Network, and launching Cash-Based practices at the fastest rate we've ever seen. So here's an inconvenient truth: Longer, One-on-one sessions are no longer a differentiator. Every cash practice offers that now. So in this episode, I walk a Mastermind member through how to stay confident, stay full, and stay ahead—without burning out or obsessing over competitors and the things they can't control or influence. What You'll Learn Today The 3 things every practice MUST excel at to outcompete in 2026 Why obsessing over new competitors only slows your growth The mindset shift that top owners use to stay motivated The #1 differentiator in a market full of long one-on-one sessions How to create a culture that patients never want to leave USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    9 min
  6. CBP 288: Recurring Cash-Pay Revenue in Private Practice – How to Get Yeses to your Maintenance Memberships

    11/01/2025

    CBP 288: Recurring Cash-Pay Revenue in Private Practice – How to Get Yeses to your Maintenance Memberships

    Every practice owner wants consistent, predictable revenue—and the best way to earn this are patients who keep coming back because you continue to transform their life, and they truly value what you provide. That's exactly what continuity and maintenance memberships can create. In this episode, I walk through the most effective strategies for getting more patients to say "yes" to your ongoing care memberships—without feeling salesy or pushy, or offering them anything that wouldn't be of significant value to them.. And since this episode releases right around Halloween, I'll start with a quick personal update. 🎃 Our twins, Adelaide and Gray, were a mummy and a pharaoh this year. They're seven and a half now—getting funnier, cuter, and more physically independent every year. Many longtime listeners know they both have Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), and their journey inspired much of the neuron regeneration research and philanthropy I'm now deeply involved in. We're currently funding neural repair experiments through Dr. David Sinclair's lab at Harvard, exploring ways to reactivate healing in damaged neurons using cellular reprogramming techniques. The early cell reprogramming animal studies in his lab have been incredibly promising, showing up to 5x improvement in neuron repair. If you'd like to stay updated—or support this mission—visit NeuronRegeneration.com or NeuronRegeneration.com/donate. Alright… now let's talk about how to make your memberships as successful as possible. What You're Getting Today My point of view on the "We don't want lifelong patients" mindset The easiest, most natural ways to present memberships during care How to plant seeds early in the POC that lead to more "yeses" A free download of the exact emails and texts one of my Mastermind member used to generate $34K from memberships in a single campaign For the full framework and to download those done-for-you templates, visit HERE. USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    18 min

  7. 10/26/2025

    CBP 287: The Riches in Cash-Based Niches

    If you've ever wondered whether niching down could really accelerate your practice growth, this episode is your answer. I sat down with longtime Mastermind member Danielle Vernon, founder of Scolio Austin, to talk about how she built a thriving Cash-Based practice around a single, underserved niche—and turned it into a referral-generating machine. From starting out in her home clinic to building a 2,200-square-foot specialty practice, Danielle shares the exact steps, lessons, and mindset shifts that helped her go from burnout in traditional orthopedics to fulfillment and freedom in a Cash-Based niche. What You're Getting Today The real-world story of how niching transformed one PT's practice The simplest (and most overlooked) marketing tactic that filled her schedule How she turned physician referrals around—and got doctors inviting her to lunch Lessons learned from a decade of building a cash-based specialty practice USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Freedom 2.0

    33 min
  8. CBP 286: Lesser-Known Rules on Medicare and Cash Pay PT

    10/18/2025

    CBP 286: Lesser-Known Rules on Medicare and Cash Pay PT

    If you treat (or plan to treat) Medicare beneficiaries in a Cash-Based model, this week's short but crucial podcast episode is for you. There's a lot of confusion about  about the topic as a whole, and even more confusion when it comes to allowing or not allowing self-claims in the scenarios of:  "Medicare as a secondary"  Medicare as primary, but having a private insurance as a secondary"  and "Medicare Advantage plans"  In this episode, I walk through real-world scenarios and answer the questions I get most often inside the Mastermind about how to safely handle self-claims and cash-pay situations in the above scenarios, as well as when a beneficiary has Medicare Part A only (not Part B). What You're Getting Today: The key Medicare scenarios every cash-based PT should understand When self-claims are allowed (and when they absolutely aren't) A free Medicare and Cash-Pay PT Quick Start Guide to help you avoid costly compliance mistakes For all the details on this topic, make sure to download the free Quick Start Guide HERE. USEFUL INFORMATION: Check out our course: Cash-Based Practice Mastermind

    7 min
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4.9
out of 5
128 Ratings

About

Gathering input from many successful cash-based practice owners, this podcast covers all components of starting or transitioning into the out-of-network/private-pay business model for your private practice. Though the host, Jarod Carter PT, DPT, MTC, and many interviewees are physical therapists, this information is applicable to most healthcare, fitness, and wellness-related businesses looking to decrease reliance on 3rd party payors, and increase cash-based revenue streams. We cover a huge number of topics including: practice transition strategies, 3rd party payor contract legalities, Medicare rules and legalities in the cash-based model, referral source diversification, online marketing, word-of-mouth marketing, optimal website design, blogging, Youtube and video marketing, networking skills and strategies, the vital cash-based mindset, phone conversations and conversions, scheduling, discharge marketing, administrative training, low overhead systems and automation, private-pay wellness/fitness/prevention programs, and everything else that involves the self-pay practice model, how it differs from the traditional insurance-based model, and what you need to do to be successful with this low-stress, rewarding type of private practice.

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