Information about a New California Law – Direct Access to a Physical Therapist
Direct Access to Physical Therapy is Here!
On January 1, 2014, a new California law was enacted which allows California consumers direct access to physical therapists. Direct Access is your ability to be evaluated and treated by a licensed Physical Therapist without first seeing your physician for a referral.
Benefits of Direct Access:
- Quicker access to the treatment you need and deserve.
- While each patient case is different, clinical research shows that Direct Access should:
- Result in fewer overall treatment sessions.
- Save you time and money.
There are some limits with this new legislation.
You may receive physical therapy (PT) services in Bishop, California directly without a doctors prescription for a period of 45 calendar days or 12 visits, whichever occurs first. If you wish to continue treatment for your condition after this time frame, the physical therapists plan of care must be signed off by a doctor (MD, DO, or Podiatrist within his/her scope of practice). Now that Direct Access is in California, it is important to remember that some insurance companies will continue to require a prescription for PT services to be covered under your insurance plan.
Here’s where Eastern Sierra Physical Therapy comes in…we are professional. We will continue to foster the patient/doctor relationship by notifying a patient’s physician of our evaluation findings and providing updates on the care plan as needed.
We also will work to get patients in the same week, if possible, and overcome pain as soon as possible.
Please call Mike Gable at 760-258-7222 if you have questions, or want to setup an appointment.