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Re: Why is APTA membership so low?
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 18, 2005 6:46:00 AM
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chiroortho
Posts: 655
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So true.
_____________________________
Greg Priest, DC, DABCO
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 19, 2005 11:44:00 AM
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Soleman
Posts: 58
Joined: March 12, 2000
From: USA
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Here's something that should spark a discussion: If the APTA really wants more membership, they should offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee to any new signups. If you're unhappy after 6 months with your membership-you can request a refund. Now that's an incentive, and it would hold the APTA accountable to offer real value for the dues.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 19, 2005 1:47:00 PM
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dosrinc
Posts: 335
Joined: December 9, 2004
From: Bonita Springs
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Soleman, pardon me but that is ridiculous, the benefits of joining a professional organization can not be expected to be seen in a six month period unless the only reason you join is to recieve 6 months of the PTJournal and weekly issues of the Advance. Joining the APTA is something to do to support your chosen profession and to help it advance and grow throughout your career. You say it would hold the APTA accountable to offer real value for the dues.....tell me exactly how that can be measured in a 6 month period? I say join the APTA and become active, attend some local/state and national meetings, meet and greet some of the great people who VOLUNTEER their time to assure that your profession continues to prosper, then and only then will you be able to see the real value of a strong professional organization. The problem is that most people don't do that, they pay their dues and expect money to start falling from the sky or something, when it doesn't they say the APTA is not doing anything for them and quit paying their dues. Another example CEBroker- all PT's in FLA would be paying 35$ per year to this company to track their CEU's if not for the hard working individuals in the FPTA, also how about licensing of outpt. PT practices at several thousand dollars a year, yep your FPTA put a stop to that as well. Open your eyes a bit and you will see that membership has tremendous value, the problem is that non-members get to share in the benefits without paying, if the benefits (ie no 1500 cap) only went to paying members I bet we would have 100% enrollment.
Time for a Corona with lime, thanks for listening.
Rick
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 20, 2005 5:56:00 AM
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mcap56
Posts: 619
Joined: October 26, 2002
From: New York, NY
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Hi group:
The APTA does many, many things that non-members are simply not aware of. You may complain that the APTA isn't winning some of the battles. But they are advocating effectively in many cases in a broad range of areas. The medicare caps, state and local issues. And what about direct access? Did that just come out of thin air?
The reason why we may loose of the battles you highlight is precisely because so many of you are NOT members. Other professions have a lot more people and a lot more money in their organizations.
No political organization or association will mirror your exact desires. There are too many competing interests. I don't feel that is a sufficient excuse.
I started posting here many years ago. There were complaints about the iminent demise of the profession, the medicare caps, inadequate evidence based practice and general dissaray. Look at how the field has progressed. The APTA has had a lot to do with it.
Skip APTA in favor of a course? You can get a ton of quality CE for very little money as a member. Here in NYC, there is a private practice meeting once every few months to discuss issues, in particular, POPTS. This is not something that has flown below the radar.
So, all I can say to those of you with complaints, your concerns are valid and the membership is expensive - no question. But in many cases, they aren't based on accurate perceptions. I truly wish that each would consider membership. I tell my students all the time that is a great way to network and to make a difference.
I don't want to wade too far into the controversy here. I am no qualitative person, but for those of you unfamiliar with qualitative research, 12 is by no means a small N. I have seen great studies with significantly less people.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 21, 2005 4:39:00 AM
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AllenB
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Rick,
Who are you and why do you make so much sense?
Soleman,
What would a rookie to the profession consider 100% satisfaction? After 6 months? Please clarify.
AllenB
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 27, 2005 9:46:00 AM
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ptdan23
Posts: 224
Joined: November 6, 2003
From: Orlando, FL
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Hi everyone,
After reading all of the posts I thought I would throw my two cents in.
I graduated in 2001 and despite money being tight when I was in school I have been a member of the APTA since 1998 (when I got into the professional phase of the program). (If I could do it as a student why can't practicing clinicians do it?)
While reading through the posts I have seen mention of other professional organizations and wondering how the APTA dues compare to them. So I went ahead a did a bit of research. This list is all but comprehensive and all data was obtained from the organizations website.
APTA - $265 + State (required) (section dues - optional)
AOTA - $275 (what a pain in the butt website)
ASHA (Speech) - $200
AMA - American Med Assoc. - $420
NATA - ATC's - $135 + District Dues
AAPMR - Physiatrist - $550
AARC - Resp. Therapist - $90-125
ACA - Chiro - $600; $1200 is for higher level of membership (Governor) w/ more benefits --->>> new grads get 1 yr FREE!
APMA - Podiatrist - $66 + State
AMTA - Massage Therapist - $235 + State
Listed are professional dues - different levels, assistant costs, etc are not listed.
This list is anything but comprehensive but I think it gives a good picture of how the APTA dues compare to other professional organizations.
In my opinion the APTA dues are comparable to other organizations. I think it is ludicrous when a PT gives cost as a reason for not joining a professional organization that represents their interests, whether they think it or not. Legislation that has either been passed or blocked most of the time with the help of the APTA has an effect on all practicing therapists. Some examples include the blockage of the Medicare cap, recent implementation of the "incident to" rules (only allowing PT's to provide services incident to a physician), numerous scope of practice issues, reimbursement lobbying, etc. To those non-APTA members, where were you when these issues arose? Were you on Capitol Hill or in the ears of your representatives voicing your concerns in regards to these issues? I doubt it but if you were, good! As APTA members are dues are put toward lobbying these issues.
In an earlier post Rick put up an excellent quote from T. Roosevelt. Posted again:
"Every man owes part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged. No man has the moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere"
---Theodore Roosevelt
How true is this! Especially as a professional, how can you withhold your support from an organization that is striving to better your profession? You often hear complaints from non-members on various topics such as decreased reimbursement, encroachments on the profession, etc but yet they are not willing to join an organization that is fighting to address these issues? These are the same type people that either join the profession to make lots of money (you know who you are!) or they want everything for nothing!
On one of the membership join pages on the AMA website it had a sentence that is so true - "Together we are stronger!" How true is that!!! If we, as PT's and PTA's, came together as a profession, imagine how much stronger we would be. Imagine the potential for change. Unfortunately in today's world money speaks. A larger membership translates into increased monies which increases the amount that the organization can do for its members and the profession that it represents.
While I may not like or agree with everything that the APTA does, it is important to me to be a member of my professional organization. I feel it is an obligation to my profession. While I am single and don't have a family I recently bought a house, car and have bills just like everyone else yet I manage to pay for my dues. I wish those that use cost as a reason for not joining would consider the cost of not joining which in the end would be one that they really couldn't afford!!!
We need to come up with some solutions - how can we become a united front? Those that have their minds made up - probably no changing them (doesn't mean we shouldn't try!!!!). We need to show others the benefits of membership and the cost to the health of the profession of not being a member.
Ideas to increase membership??? Lets brainstorm - I think when the APTA instituted the installment plan that it was a good move. I know I took advantage of it. Someone mentioned the $15 fee for doing so - yes, extra money, but common practice from what I saw on other websites. Good idea. What else? Various levels of membership would be another idea - maybe only PT magazine without the journals which would lower dues cost. I saw a lot of other organizations list various levels of membership. I think another option would be for those that employ PT/PTA's such as hospitals, private practices, etc pay a percentage of dues maybe that would encourage people to join which could be a part of their total compensation package. Anyone have any other ideas?
In conclusion, non-members of the APTA it is time to step up to the plate and fulfill an obligation to your profession. We need to make our organization work for us but it needs us in order to do so. If you don't join then do not EVER complain about reimbursement, scope of practice/infringement, or any other issues that you did nothing about!
Dan Curtis, PT.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 27, 2005 11:00:00 AM
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jma
Posts: 2414
Joined: August 24, 2000
From: NY
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Good points.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 27, 2005 5:12:00 PM
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Echaconas
Posts: 17
Joined: May 12, 2005
From: Baltimore, MD
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Well said Dan.
_____________________________
E. Chaconas PT,DPT,MTC,CSCS
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 27, 2005 6:59:00 PM
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MinnDasota
Posts: 29
Joined: July 22, 2005
From: NYC
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Dan, great post!
I like the idea of different levels of membership....
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 27, 2005 11:27:00 PM
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goodlooks58
Posts: 425
Joined: October 21, 2002
From: CA
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I still say, payup $1000 per each PT/PTA per year, collect the money, pay some hotshot law group and PROTECT THE TURF!!!!!Mo' money and a larger group voice is the way to live amongst shark infested waters.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 28, 2005 4:23:00 AM
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jma
Posts: 2414
Joined: August 24, 2000
From: NY
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We get reimburse by the hospital for dues. So everyone is a member of the APTA here. More should do the same, as Dan mentioned.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 28, 2005 10:43:00 AM
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ptdan23
Posts: 224
Joined: November 6, 2003
From: Orlando, FL
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Thanks Eric and MinnDasota. jma - the hospital you work for pays for your dues. Do you think that they take something else away from you (insurance, wages, etc) in order to pay for it? I wish every company was like that.
Dan, PT.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 28, 2005 11:19:00 AM
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jma
Posts: 2414
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From: NY
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They take a small portion off once a month from wages.
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - August 29, 2005 3:32:00 AM
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paulpt
Posts: 164
Joined: May 31, 2005
Status: offline
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Jon:
good ideas, but I think you might find that some of them have been looked into.
Membership levels might seem like a good idea, however, removing a name from multiple memberhsip lists has a cost. Thus, having a discounted memership less the cost of the publication PLUS the administrative hassle ($oftware i$$ue), does make for a low sum gain. Regarding journals, it would seem to be an eventuality that an online option will present itself. Perhaps, like the weekly bulletin which is now an online entity, the journal may one day be presented primarily in that format. Those wishing for the print copy would be asked to pay extra. Now there is an idea.
As far as employer helping to defray costs - would that NOT be a good retention and recruitment tool, in a market that is flooded with openings? I would like to think so, but it seems that not to be the case. If it were, somewhere we would see that advertised - such as in the Advance magazine. They seem to lure prospective employees with bonuses, vacation time, cont.ed. reimbursement, good working conditions, etc. I see no ads promoting a company paying professional dues. Interesting.
Thanks for provoking some good thoughts!
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Re: Why is APTA membership so low? - September 17, 2005 11:01:00 AM
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sarty
Posts: 65
Joined: April 22, 2001
From: Florida, USA
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I'm a bit late to this discussion, but as the only APTA member in my department, I've heard excuses like, "Its too expensive; when they lower the dues, I'll join"; or "All you get is the PT journal and that isn't a good journal at all"; or "What have they done for me?"
I've told them that if more people joined, it is entirely possible that dues would go down. I also mentioned that you can get more specific journals when you also join sections (like the orthopedic section for JOSPT) for example. I've explained the impact of the PAC and lobbying and how different professions have stronger lobbies because they have more members. They just don't care. It is sad.
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