Don’t Wait to See Your Physical Therapist
By: Katie Streeter, PTA
The past year and a half has been very taxing in many ways, both mentally and physically. People are working from home now more than ever before due to the pandemic and it has started to take it’s toll. Physical Therapy is a great option to alleviate some of these aches and pains and it may be easier to make an appointment than you think; it’s called “Direct Access” and it takes some of the stress out of the process.
In the past, patients were required to see a Physician and get a prescription in order to see a Physical Therapist. This understandably made it more difficult, due to this additional step, and most likely made people push off getting therapy due to the inconvenience. But in January 2015, all 50 states adopted “Direct Access,” (with certain restrictions based on the state) which allows patients to see a Physical Therapist without a prescription, thus eliminating that extra step. Healthcare is expensive, as we all know too well, so if a patient can seek physical therapy services without excessive tests and referrals from specialists, costs can be cut significantly.
Understandably, there was some backlash from the medical boards when Direct Access was proposed. For one thing, it was argued that Physical Therapists did not have enough training to diagnose a patient’s symptoms. Previously, PT students graduated with a Master’s degree. But in January 2016, CAPTE (Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education) made the DPT the required degree for all students. That meant that in addition to the 4 years of science-based undergraduate curriculum, a PT student now had to complete 3-3 ½ years of graduate courses. These courses include: neuroscience classes, pharmacology, cardiopulmonary and musculoskeletal disorders, prosthetics and orthotics, health promotion and wellness and much more. Combining this coursework with the continuing education that a Physical Therapist must complete every few years in order to maintain their licensure, ensures that the patient is getting the best, knowledge-based care possible in order to diagnose and treat their condition.
Some frequently asked questions that arise when it comes to Direct Access usually concern finances. What will Direct Access cost me? Is it more expensive in the end? Cost is always a concern when it comes to seeing a practitioner of any kind. The best approach to take before choosing a provider you want to see is to check your benefits; make sure that your health insurance doesn’t require a prescription for PT in the end. A very small percentage of health insurance companies do require a prescription but it is not the norm. You may be required to pay a co-pay for your visit but by eliminating the physician visit, expenses are kept low. Almost all insurance companies will reimburse your PT visits, under Direct Access, for a set number of days or length of time depending on the state that you’re in. For New York, you may see a Physical Therapist for 10 visits or 30 days, depending on what comes first. After that period of time, a patient may be referred out to a physician for further assessment if their symptoms have not subsided or if a more aggressive course of treatment is required. At that time, if the patient requires further physical therapy, a prescription would then be required.
Times are tough and uncertain but your health and physical well being shouldn’t have to take a backseat because of a complicated system. Direct Access has been a significant step forward in the healthcare world and allows for most everyone to take their health and recovery into their own hands and get back on the road to a pain free life!