Direct Access Laws by State (Missouri-Pennsylvania)
In part three of this four-part series, we give you the breakdown of direct access laws from Missouri to Pennsylvania for direct access laws.
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If you haven’t been keeping up with the WebPT Blog over the past few days, here’s what you’ve missed: I’ve been breaking down all of the state-level direct access laws from coast to coast. (You can check out the laws for Alabama to Hawaii here and Idaho to Mississippi here.) If you have been keeping up, then welcome back! (Cue the “Welcome Back, Kotter” theme song.) Today, I’m tackling the laws from M to P—that’s Missouri to Pennsylvania. But, as I’ve stated in the previous two posts, I’m not a legal expert. So, before you start evaluating and/or treating patients sans physician referral, be sure to consult with an attorney or PT compliance expert. Now, let’s get back to it:
Missouri
Montana
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Nebraska
- Nebraska is one of 20 states that allow patients total, unrestricted access to a physical therapist. No type of physician referral is required for a physical therapist to evaluate or treat a patient.
- The PT must refer the patient to an appropriate healthcare professional if the PT feels that the patient’s care goes beyond the physical therapy scope of practice.
- Failure to do so is considered unprofessional conduct.
Nevada
- Nevada is one of 20 states that allow patients total, unrestricted access to a physical therapist. No type of physician referral is required for a physical therapist to evaluate or treat a patient.
- The state’s direct access law specifies that diagnosis of physical disabilities, massage services, and chiropractic adjustment do not fall under the physical therapy scope.
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Three posts down; one more to go! Tomorrow, I’ll be tackling all the laws from Rhode Island to Wyoming. So, if you practice in any states between R and W, be sure to swing by the WebPT Blog for the final installment of this series. And, of course, if you want to have direct access law for all 50 states compiled in one, easy-to-read document, The PT’s Guide to Direct Access in All 50 States is available for download right here. Until next time!
