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What is the main purpose of occupational therapy?

The primary purpose of occupational therapy is to treat motor skills, balance, and coordination. Occupational therapy helps individuals who may struggle with everyday tasks like writing or getting dressed. The occupational therapy goals are to restore or maintain physical function so the patient can function at home, school, or work. An occupational therapist can recommend adaptations to perform tasks. 

Conditions that benefit from occupational therapy include:

  • Arthritis and chronic pain
  • Stroke
  • Brain injuries
  • Joint replacements
  • Spinal cord injury
  • Visual problems
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Poor balance
  • Cancer
  • Diabetes
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Mental health or behavioral issues
  • Birth defects
  • Autism
  • Severe injuries

Occupational therapy services may be accessed through home therapy, rehabilitation centers, outpatient clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living centers.

* Savings estimate based on a study of more than 1 billion claims comparing self-pay (or cash pay) prices of a frequency-weighted market basket of procedures to insurer-negotiated rates for the same. Claims were collected between July 2017 and July 2019. R.Lawrence Van Horn, Arthur Laffer, Robert L.Metcalf. 2019. The Transformative Potential for Price Transparency in Healthcare: Benefits for Consumers and Providers. Health Management Policy and Innovation, Volume 4, Issue 3.

Sidecar Health offers and administers a variety of plans including ACA compliant and excepted benefit plans. Coverage and plan options may vary or may not be available in all states.

Your actual costs may be higher or lower than these cost estimates. Check with your provider and health plan details to confirm the costs that you may be charged for a service or procedure.You are responsible for costs that are not covered and for getting any pre-authorizations or referrals required by your health plan. Neither payments nor benefits are guaranteed. Provider data, including price data, provided in part by Turquoise Health.

The site is not a substitute for medical or healthcare advice and does not serve as a recommendation for a particular provider or type of medical or healthcare.