Occupational therapists enter the profession to help patients regain independence and function — not to spend their mornings navigating insurance portals, submitting prior authorization requests, and chasing down unpaid claims from three months ago.
Why Occupational Therapy Practices Are Hiring Virtual Assistants
Occupational therapy practices operate in one of the most authorization-intensive areas of outpatient healthcare. Whether serving pediatric patients with sensory processing needs, adults recovering from stroke or injury, or older adults in home-based settings, OT practices must obtain and renew prior authorizations regularly, document progress in detail, and submit claims with precision — all while managing a complex web of payer relationships.
See also: what is a virtual assistant, how to hire a virtual assistant, virtual assistant pricing.
For small and mid-sized OT practices, this administrative volume is a constant operational strain. Hiring a virtual assistant allows the practice to offload that work to a trained remote professional without adding to payroll overhead or physical office space. A VA working inside your Net Health or TheraNest environment can manage scheduling, run insurance verifications, track authorization timelines, and support billing — all functions that directly affect revenue and patient flow.
HIPAA compliance is a foundational requirement before any VA accesses your systems. Any remote worker handling protected health information must operate under a signed Business Associate Agreement, use encrypted communication and file-sharing tools, and have documented HIPAA training on record. VA providers like Virtual Assistant VA integrate these requirements into their healthcare placement process so your practice is protected from day one.
What Tasks Can a VA Handle for Your OT Practice?
Scheduling & Patient Communication
- Booking new patient evaluations and ongoing therapy sessions in Net Health or TheraNest
- Sending appointment reminders via text and email to patients and caregivers
- Managing cancellations and reschedule requests and filling open slots from the waitlist
- Coordinating intake paperwork and ensuring completion before the first visit
- Following up with referring physicians and case managers to confirm referral details
- Communicating with patients and families about scheduling changes or authorization delays
- Managing telehealth session logistics and sending video visit links
- Tracking active patient caseload and flagging gaps in treatment frequency
Billing & Insurance
- Verifying OT benefits, coverage limits, and prior authorization requirements before evaluations
- Initiating and tracking prior authorization requests with commercial and Medicaid payers
- Submitting claims using OT-relevant CPT codes (97165, 97166, 97167, 97168, 97110, 97530, 97535)
- Following up on pending, denied, or underpaid claims
- Posting insurance and patient payments and reconciling EOBs in Net Health or TheraNest
- Preparing appeal letters and compiling clinical documentation for claim disputes
- Running AR aging reports and prioritizing follow-up on accounts over 30 and 60 days
- Handling patient billing inquiries and coordinating payment plans
Marketing & Reputation
- Managing your Google Business Profile and responding to patient and caregiver reviews
- Writing and scheduling social media content on OT topics and patient success themes
- Sending email newsletters with therapy tips, practice updates, and resource links
- Requesting reviews from satisfied patients or caregivers via post-visit follow-up
- Supporting outreach to referral sources including physicians, hospitals, and schools
Operations & Compliance
- Maintaining patient records and uploading clinical documents in Net Health or TheraNest
- Tracking authorization expiration dates and initiating renewal requests proactively
- Preparing daily schedule and productivity reports for practice leadership
- Organizing consent forms, evaluation reports, and payer correspondence in digital files
- Monitoring continuing education and state licensure renewal deadlines for OT staff
- Drafting referral acknowledgment letters and progress report summaries for referring providers
OT-Specific VA Skills to Look For
An effective VA for an occupational therapy practice needs a combination of healthcare administrative experience and familiarity with OT-specific tools and processes:
- Net Health or TheraNest proficiency — These platforms are widely used in outpatient OT, rehabilitation, and pediatric therapy settings. A VA with hands-on experience in either system will onboard quickly and minimize training time.
- Prior authorization expertise — OT authorizations are frequent, time-sensitive, and payer-specific. Your VA needs to know how to submit requests, track status, and manage renewals without letting authorizations lapse.
- OT billing code knowledge — Evaluation codes (97165-97168) and treatment codes (97110, 97530, 97535) should be familiar, along with appropriate modifier use.
- HIPAA compliance training — Documented training, a signed BAA, and secure system access are required before any patient data is handled.
- Caregiver and multi-stakeholder communication — OT practices often coordinate with physicians, schools, insurance case managers, and families simultaneously. A VA who can communicate clearly across all these channels is invaluable.
- Referral tracking and coordination — Experience managing incoming referrals and following up with referral sources ensures no new patient falls through the cracks.
- EHR documentation support — Ability to organize, upload, and maintain clinical files accurately within your practice management system.
How Much Does an OT VA Cost?
The cost of a virtual assistant for an occupational therapy practice varies based on experience, hours worked, and the complexity of the role. Freelance VAs with healthcare experience typically charge $18 to $35 per hour, but finding one with verifiable OT billing and authorization experience requires significant time investment in screening and compliance setup.
Virtual Assistant VA offers pre-vetted healthcare VAs at flat monthly rates with both full-time and part-time options. For an OT practice handling 30 to 60 visits per week, a dedicated VA managing authorizations, billing follow-up, and scheduling typically recovers more in denied claims and reduced no-shows than the monthly cost of the VA placement — often within the first 30 to 60 days.
Virtual Assistant VA provides a free consultation to assess your current administrative workflow, identify the highest-impact tasks to delegate, and match your practice with a VA who has the right background for OT-specific support.
Ready to Hire?
If your authorization queue is backlogged, your billing follow-up is weeks behind, or your therapists are spending clinical hours on administrative tasks, a trained OT VA is the most direct solution. The right VA will integrate into your existing systems quickly and start delivering measurable results within the first two weeks.