Access To Physical Therapy May Ease

The California Legislature has passed a bill that would allow patients to bypass physicians in order to receive treatment from physical therapists.

The legislation, AB 1000, was approved earlier this month and went to Gov. Jerry Brown for signature. If Brown signs it into law, it would allow patients to receive services from physical therapists without requiring prior physician approval. Visits are capped at 12 visits or 45 calendar days until a physician must sign off on the patient's plan of care.

Physical therapists had pushed for easier patient access to their services, noting that it was often difficult for them to get an approval within a short period of time from overworked physicians.

“In this era of healthcare reform and severe physician shortages, keeping patients waiting for a physician diagnosis when seeking relief from pain and physical impairments, which can be addressed by a qualified physical therapist, no longer makes sense,” said James Syms, president of the California Physical Therapy Association, which had sponsored the legislation. The CPTA represents about 82,000 therapists statewide.

Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon and Washington already allow patients direct access to physical therapists without a physician's approval.