In California, direct access to physical therapy has been legally supported since 2014 through Assembly Bill 1000. This law allows you to receive physical therapy services directly, provided the treatment extends for no more than 45 days or 12 visits, whichever comes first.
People with Original Medicare do not need a referral to see a specialist. However, people with certain Medicare Advantage plans may need a written referral document. The rules on this vary among plans, so anyone who needs more information should speak with their plan provider.
Namely, orthopedic surgeons, followed by general practitioners and internal medicine specialists, are still the main referral sources for physical therapy. Likewise, this study showed similar results with orthopedists (59%) and family and internal medicine practitioners (32%) accounting for 91% of the total referrals.
Physical therapists contribute to patient diagnosis of pathological processes by initiating a timely referral to physicians. The reviewed patient cases illustrate the importance of a multifactorial examination strategy and carefully monitoring patient response to treatment to identify such patients.
Since 2005, Medicare patients don't need to have a referral or prescription to see a physical therapist, but they still must be “under the care of a physician.” All 50 states allow enrollees some sort of direct access to PT, but the rules differ.
Arizona's Direct Access Laws for Physical Therapy Arizona is one of only 20 states that allow patients complete, unrestricted access to a physical therapist. No physician referral is required for a patient to receive treatment from a physical therapist.
Current textbooks about diagnosis for physical therapists describe referral as an essential part of physical therapist practice, but do not provide explicit guidance for initiating a high-value referral or improving care continuity.