Direct Access to Physical Therapy Treatment

Let’s say you injure yourself while playing golf with some friends over the weekend. Did you know that you can schedule an appointment with a physical therapist without the need for a referral from your primary care provider?

In most cases, this means you can start treatment faster and lower your medical fees. There are some exceptions depending on your insurance, but in many instances, you can call one of our Connecticut clinics and be seen by a qualified therapist that same day! Few people are aware that this opportunity may be available to them, so let’s take a closer look at direct access.

Get the Facts!

Direct access removes the need for a physician’s referral in order to receive treatment from a physical therapist. In 2006, Connecticut established legislation that allows patients to bypass their primary care physician and receive care for conditioning, strength training and injury prevention from a physical therapist. By 2013, all 50 states had followed suit, although they all have different regulations on the degree of treatment provided. Prior to these advancements in our healthcare system, restrictions on direct access proved to delay the healing process for patients and increase medical expenses by requiring a separate consultation from a primary care doctor.

Some opponents of this legislation have tried to claim that bypassing consultation by a physician may lead to some level of lesser care and treatment. Documented studies paint a different picture. In fact, in most cases studied, patients who went directly to a physical therapist actually recovered from injury faster and paid less in medical fees. Direct access has been proven to be a safe and effective route for patients to take.

A study conducted at Georgetown and John’s Hopkin’s University discovered that physical therapy treatment through physician’s referral took more than two times longer than direct access physical therapy. Additionally, referral patients paid claims 123 percent higher than direct access patients. The bottom line is that direct access will shorten your recovery time if physical therapy is the right treatment for your injury and will save you money in the long run.

Direct access was established to decrease the number of prolonged injury cases and the cost of associated medical expenses by informing people of their right to be treated by a physical therapist as soon as an injury occurs. What many people don’t realize is that physical therapists are graduate level, licensed medical professionals who are qualified to effectively evaluate and diagnose a patient’s condition. At Integrated, more than half of our physical therapists are doctorate level. Their extensive training even helps them to identify conditions that may be beyond the scope of physical therapy treatment.

The physical therapy industry as a whole enjoys a low percentage of patient complaints and malpractice claims.

Direct Access at Integrated

At Integrated Rehabilitation, we honor patients’ rights to direct access care from our qualified physical therapists. Oftentimes, we can facilitate care faster and get you in to see the medical professional you need faster than your primary care physician. One of our patients came to us with the diagnosis of a calf strain, but after our initial evaluation, we discovered that the patient had a ruptured Achilles. We were able to help him schedule surgery within 24 hours of visiting us!

When you come to us via direct access, we will verify your insurance coverage prior to your visit, but we must follow the rules of your carrier. Data does show a positive trend in the number of insurance companies who reimburse physical therapy visits without a referral, but if a prescription is required for treatment, we will contact you before the appointment and provide you with 3 options:

• Acquire the referral prescription from your primary care doctor
• Self-pay for the visit
• We will perform a complimentary assessment to determine if physical therapy is right for your injury
  • If further physical therapy treatment is needed, you would need to obtain a referral prescription if required by your healthcare plan

Take control of your own care through direct access. Don’t extend your suffering and make your wallet share the ache; see a physical therapist first!

Additional Information

The state of Connecticut has provisions to direct access about the certification and experience of all practicing physical therapists. You can bypass your doctor to see a physical therapist as long as he or she has the required credentials under direct access law in CT. More information about the restrictions in Connecticut and all other states can be found on the APTA.org website.