Texans Now Have Direct Access to Physical Therapy!
On September 1, 2019, Governor Greg Abbott signed into law Texas’ new Direct Access bill, HB 29, making Texas the 49th state to pass direct access legislation. What this means to you is that you now can visit a physical therapist for treatment without a healthcare practitioner's referral.
The new law removes the previous barrier that only allowed physical therapists to evaluate but not treat without a referral or doctor's order. Now, you can go directly to a physical therapist to get the care you need without the long wait times and unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses at a doctor's office just to get a referral for physical therapy. According to a study by Health Services Research, total health care costs for patients who had early access to physical therapy were less than half the total costs paid by those who waited three months to a year to visit a PT.
Many conditions are successfully treated by hands-on treatment and individualized exercise programs provided by your physical therapist. Painful and expensive surgeries can be put off and sometimes even eradicated altogether. Plus, physical therapy has been known to reduce and sometimes even eliminate the need for dangerously addictive painkillers. Physical therapists are also highly trained in identifying conditions that might need further evaluation or medical treatment and can include primary care physicians when needed.
Direct Access to Texas Physical Therapists provides many benefits, including but not limited to:
- Much quicker access to the treatment you need and deserve.
- Cost savings - while each patient case is different, clinical research shows that Direct Access typically saves you money.
- Thorough evaluation - physical therapy visits last 30-60 minutes so your condition is thoroughly evaluated.
- Fewer overall treatment sessions - in many cases, seeing a physical therapist first, will result in fewer overall treatment sessions.
There are also guidelines and restrictions* for direct access to physical therapy in Texas, which include:
- Treatment without a referral can only be done for up to ten (10) consecutive business days for a physical therapist with a doctoral degree in physical therapy or who has completed a minimum of thirty (30) continuing competence activities in the area of differential diagnosis.
- Treatment can only be performed by a physical therapist with a doctorate degree in physical therapy who has completed a residency or fellowship can treat for up to fifteen (15) consecutive business days without a referral.
- To treat without a referral, the Physical Therapist must have been licensed to practice physical therapy for at least one (1) year and must be covered by professional liability insurance.
- Before treatment can exceed the authorized number of days, a referral must be obtained from a qualified healthcare practitioner.
*HB 29 amends provisions of Section 453.301, Occupations Code (PT Practice Act).
Please note: some insurances may not pay for direct access/self referral and are subject to private pay rates.
For more information, click here.
