Senate Bill 1778 Summary

• Allows physical therapists with a Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree or 5+ years of experience to treat patients without a physician referral, removing the previous blanket requirement for referrals.

• Permits physical therapists to provide services for fitness, wellness, and prevention without referral, and allows them to perform screening and educational procedures without physician referral.

• Requires physical therapists practicing without referral to notify the patient's primary care physician within 5 days of initial evaluation and to refer patients to a physician if no improvement occurs after 60 days.

• Deletes restrictions on physical therapy practice language and maintains requirements that physical therapists refer patients when symptoms indicate conditions outside the standards of practice.

• Effective November 1, 2014.