Do I need a referral for physical therapy?

Oct25th 2017

The quick answer is no. Well, not usually! Most patients don’t need a Physician’s Referral to access Physical Therapy.  In the State of Tennessee, a Licensed Physical Therapist can evaluate and treat your ailments for 15 visits or 30 days, which ever one comes first. This is called the Direct Access Period. The only exception to this rule is if your insurance company requires you to have a doctor’s prescription for therapy such as Bluecare, Humana Gold Plus, or Amerigroup to name a few. For all others, even once your Direct Access Period ends, if you have a primary care physician, we can fax off your records to then, have them signed, and that counts as your referral! You don’t even have to go to your doctor to get the prescription, which not only saves you time, but also saves you money!

To learn more, see the physical therapy position statement.

By: Jess Champion

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