Compensating Exercise Professionals: Navigating Insurance Reimbursement and Future Opportunities with Christina Badaracco
11/18/24 • 34 min
This is the eleventh episode of our special podcast series exploring the Sept/Oct themed issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal on professionalization and advocacy. In this episode, we’ll explore the important and complex topic of payment, with Christina Badaracco, the lead author for the article in the themed issue entitled "Compensation for Exercise Professional Services."
Christina has an extensive background in clinical research, healthcare policy, and public health program development. She’ll provide insights into various reimbursement models, including cash pay, health savings accounts, and insurance reimbursement, and how better understanding these methods and advocating for improvements can increase both accessibility and professional recognition in the exercise field. Christina shares her recent work with Avalere and the Physical Activity Alliance, shedding light on healthcare integration opportunities for interventions delivered by exercise professionals.
Discover the hurdles that exercise professionals may face in a changing compensation landscape, from increased paperwork and lower reimbursement rates to the necessity for specialized knowledge and additional staff. We delve into the importance of clear quality measures and evidence-based programs to showcase the impact of fitness on health outcomes and healthcare costs. Additionally, Christina's explore the parallels between physical activity and the food is medicine initiative, and the importance of advocating for better integration, reimbursement, and support for advancing lifestyle medicine. This is an episode packed with strategies and insights critical for all exercise professionals to understand as they travel on their professionalization journey.
Show Notes Page: https://wellnessparadoxpod.com/episodeacsm11
Our Guest: Christina Badaracco, MPH, RDN, LDN
Christina works as a healthcare consultant and nationally recognized thought leader, focusing on advancing the role of nutrition and lifestyle medicine in healthcare. She also regularly writes, teaches, and develops curriculum about nutrition, culinary medicine, and sustainable agriculture—including publishing The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide, publishing cookbooks with the Transamerica Institute, and co-developing a culinary medicine course at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and lifestyle medicine shared medical appointment series for MedStar Health in the DC metro area. She is currently guiding a start-up focused on healthy and sustainable food in hospitals and several other innovative food projects.
In her most recent full-time role as a healthcare consultant at Avalere, Christina advised various healthcare industry clients (including the Physical Activity Alliance) in care transformation and evidence generation. Christina previously worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Oakland Unified School District, and other prominent organizations. She serves as president of the DC Metro Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Slow Food DC board member. She earned her MPH from UC Berkeley and her AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Italian, from Princeton University.
Follow us on social at the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/wellnessparadox
https://www.instagram.com/wellnessparadox/
This is the eleventh episode of our special podcast series exploring the Sept/Oct themed issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal on professionalization and advocacy. In this episode, we’ll explore the important and complex topic of payment, with Christina Badaracco, the lead author for the article in the themed issue entitled "Compensation for Exercise Professional Services."
Christina has an extensive background in clinical research, healthcare policy, and public health program development. She’ll provide insights into various reimbursement models, including cash pay, health savings accounts, and insurance reimbursement, and how better understanding these methods and advocating for improvements can increase both accessibility and professional recognition in the exercise field. Christina shares her recent work with Avalere and the Physical Activity Alliance, shedding light on healthcare integration opportunities for interventions delivered by exercise professionals.
Discover the hurdles that exercise professionals may face in a changing compensation landscape, from increased paperwork and lower reimbursement rates to the necessity for specialized knowledge and additional staff. We delve into the importance of clear quality measures and evidence-based programs to showcase the impact of fitness on health outcomes and healthcare costs. Additionally, Christina's explore the parallels between physical activity and the food is medicine initiative, and the importance of advocating for better integration, reimbursement, and support for advancing lifestyle medicine. This is an episode packed with strategies and insights critical for all exercise professionals to understand as they travel on their professionalization journey.
Show Notes Page: https://wellnessparadoxpod.com/episodeacsm11
Our Guest: Christina Badaracco, MPH, RDN, LDN
Christina works as a healthcare consultant and nationally recognized thought leader, focusing on advancing the role of nutrition and lifestyle medicine in healthcare. She also regularly writes, teaches, and develops curriculum about nutrition, culinary medicine, and sustainable agriculture—including publishing The Farm Bill: A Citizen’s Guide, publishing cookbooks with the Transamerica Institute, and co-developing a culinary medicine course at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and lifestyle medicine shared medical appointment series for MedStar Health in the DC metro area. She is currently guiding a start-up focused on healthy and sustainable food in hospitals and several other innovative food projects.
In her most recent full-time role as a healthcare consultant at Avalere, Christina advised various healthcare industry clients (including the Physical Activity Alliance) in care transformation and evidence generation. Christina previously worked for the Environmental Protection Agency, Teaching Kitchen Collaborative, Oakland Unified School District, and other prominent organizations. She serves as president of the DC Metro Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and a Slow Food DC board member. She earned her MPH from UC Berkeley and her AB in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Italian, from Princeton University.
Follow us on social at the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/wellnessparadox
https://www.instagram.com/wellnessparadox/
Previous Episode
Fit Pros - Stop Trading Time for Money w/Becky Searls
In this episode we welcome back Becky Searls to the podcast, who joined us originally in episode 48. She is a former high school Spanish teacher turned personal trainer and fitness coach. In this episode she shares an update to her inspirational career journey. Discover how Becky's background in education seamlessly transitioned into the fitness industry, highlighting the striking parallels between curriculum planning in teaching and program planning in personal training. Becky reveals her innovative approach to breaking free from the traditional time-for-money model, offering invaluable insights for fitness professionals eager to scale their businesses while maintaining work-life balance.
We tackle the pressing issue of burnout in the fitness industry by encouraging exercise professionals to visualize their ideal work-life scenarios. Explore how moving beyond the conventional hour-by-hour earnings model can lead to more rewarding career paths. Through Becky's experiences, we emphasize the importance of intentional career planning, networking, and mentorship. Learn how self-awareness and strategic connections can pave the way for a fulfilling professional journey that aligns with personal values and goals.
In a quest for efficiency, Becky recounts her transition from personalized coaching to an app-based model, beginning with a pivotal beta test. This crucial step not only refined her offering through valuable feedback but also highlighted the balance between personalization and scalable services. Dive into the growth mindset that fueled the evolution of the "Better With Becky" brand, and explore the ethical considerations and exciting potential future opportunities it promises. Through Becky's story, discover how a bit of strategy and a lot of passion can lead to a successful and sustainable fitness business.
Show Notes Page: https://wellnessparadoxpod.com/episode135
Our Guest: Becky Searls, CPT
Becky Searls is definitely not another influencer, and she’s more than a personal trainer. Her experience in education, embrace of evidence-based research, and personable judgment-free approach sets her apart in an industry famous for baseless hype and scammy practices.
Spending over a decade as an accomplished foreign language teacher, Becky truly has the heart of an educator. When she learns something important, her first thought is always how to best share it with others. She also knows life's greatest lessons are found outside of the classroom. So as she dives deeper into research papers spanning health, fitness, nutrition, and psychology, she can’t imagine keeping all the useful things she discovers to herself.
That's what Better with Becky is: the place she translates cutting-edge science into practical tools and everyday advice for the rest of us.
That may explain why, as her debut product, Build with Becky doesn't look like other exercise programs. Yes, it will give you a great workout. But you won't believe how much you'll learn along the way, without even realizing it. And yes, you'll probably see progress toward your fitness goals. But don't be surprised if you also gain deeper insights that connect with other parts of your life. That's just part of what you get with Becky!
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https://www.facebook.com/wellnessparadox
https://www.instagram.com/wellnessparadox/
Next Episode
Advancing & Elevating the Exercise Profession: Insights from the Experts
This is the twelfth, and final, episode of our special podcast series exploring the Sept/Oct themed issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal on professionalization and advocacy. In this episode, we’ll unlock the secrets to advancing your career in the exercise profession. We guarantee you'll learn how to transform your role by acting as a healthcare professional today, while staying on top of industry developments.
Join our host, Michael Stack, as we weave together the collective wisdom of our esteemed guests from this special 12-part series, delivering a powerful call to action for exercise professionals. This is our chance to elevate the exercise profession, impact more lives, and shift from mere wellness to embracing a broader, more inclusive concept of well-being.
Our episode ventures into the heart of building trust within the healthcare industry, emphasizing the crucial step of relationship-building with clients, members, and policymakers. Discover strategies for creating a collaborative referral network that combines exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and coaching, ensuring holistic well-being and improved exercise outcomes. This is not just a reflection but a heartfelt thank you to everyone, including our listeners, the Health & Fitness Journal team, contributing authors, and the ACSM, for being part of this journey. Let's champion the power of movement together and continue advancing the professionalization path.
Show Notes Page: https://wellnessparadoxpod.com/episodeacsm12
Follow us on social at the links below:
https://www.facebook.com/wellnessparadox
https://www.instagram.com/wellnessparadox/
The Wellness Paradox - Compensating Exercise Professionals: Navigating Insurance Reimbursement and Future Opportunities with Christina Badaracco
Transcript
And welcome back to the Wellness Paradox podcast . I'm so grateful that you can join us on this journey towards greater human flourishing . Today we're bringing you the 11th episode in our special series on the ACSM-themed issue , on professionalization and advocacy . As always , I'm your host , michael Stack , an exercise physiologist by training and a health educator and health entrepr
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