MSK Study Ties Conservative Care to Real ROI
TailorCare research of Medicare Advantage members shows how upstream care cuts musculoskeletal (MSK) spend up to 79%.
MSK conditions remain one of the costliest categories in U.S. healthcare, driven by avoidable surgeries and unnecessary care. This study answers a simple question: what happens when members are matched to the right level of care and guided 1:1 by a licensed doctor of physical therapy (DPT) earlier?
The results of TailorCare members vs. matched controls:
- Self-care members cost far less. Matching low-acuity members to home-based care, guided by a DPT, produced the largest savings signal — a $211.56 PMPM (79%) reduction.
- Physical therapy adherence pays downstream. Members who followed through on PT had signifcantly lower spend on skilled nursing facilities (SNF), home health and surgery.
- Early engagement is the lever. The sooner members are identified and guided to the right care, the more unnecessary utilization and cost they avoid.
See the full methodology and results behind these savings.
What’s Inside
- Methodology with study design, confidence intervals and matching covariates.
- PMPM breakdowns for self-care and PT-adherent pathways.
- Utilization and spend comparisons across PT, surgery, SNF and home health.