A bill signed into law Aug. 28 allows Missourians to seek treatment from qualifying outpatient physical therapists without the requirement of a physician referral or prescription. PTs must have five years of experience or be a doctor of physical therapy. PTs at NKCH and MH’s three Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine locations – Creekwood Commons, Main Campus and North Oak Medical Park – meet this requirement.
"To meet the needs of our patients, we grew our PT and Sports Medicine locations in recent years to three sites throughout the Northland," said Vice President of Professional Services Rob Schlicht. "We are equally positioned to meet the needs of patients seeking direct access physical therapy. This new bill will help us improve access to care, while maintaining the needed collaboration with providers."
Trained to identify common troublesome areas, our PTs provide several benefits, including healing injuries, reducing pain and restoring movement. If they find something severe, they must refer patients to their primary care providers and not proceed with PT treatments.
The PT must consult with an approved healthcare provider after every 10 visits or 30 days, whichever comes first, before continuing therapy without a doctor’s order. PTs are not permitted to make medical diagnoses, order labs or X-rays, or prescribe medications. Most insurance carriers, including Aetna through coverage from NKCH and MH, cover PT services without a doctor’s referral.