In this episode, Jimmy McKay interviews Emily and Sam—two PT business owners who went from barely involved in APTA to sitting on legislative committees, firing lobbyists, and fighting for better Medicaid reimbursement.
This story is about what happens when healthcare providers stop waiting for someone else to fix the system—and show up themselves.
Guests: Emily Herndon & Samantha Schmidt
00:00 - PTs in Montana?! Let’s go.
00:39 - How COVID shut down their clinics
01:12 - Finding a legal loophole for telehealth parity
02:13 - Getting 40+ insurance companies to pay attention
03:00 - First taste of advocacy and joining the APTA
04:50 - Realizing the system wasn’t working
06:30 - From membership director to president (reluctantly)
08:00 - "Positive Deviance" and why PTs make great leaders
10:40 - Wild advocacy stories (orange jumpsuits and tequila)
12:00 - Why stress is required for change
13:15 - The fight for Medicaid reimbursement above Medicare
15:00 - How they built the case using data and collaboration
17:20 - How much PTs are *really* losing on Medicaid
18:00 - What’s next for 2025 legislative session
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🎙️ Gear I used to create this video:
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Mic - https://amzn.to/4bWCfAO
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