The Choice is YOURS
One of the most common misconceptions about Physical Therapy is that you need a doctor’s order to start!
This is FALSE!
In fact, Minnesota is one of the states that offers direct access to patients. This means that you can go to a physical therapy clinic without first having to see the doctor. There are however restrictions with this for certain insurance plans including HMO’s and Medicare. Many individuals fear that their physical therapy intervention would not be covered by insurance unless they have a doctor’s order. In many instances, this is NOT true. There is overwhelming evidence that demonstrates that insurances are providing coverage in direct access instances.
Still unsure if you will be covered under your insurance plan?? Don’t worry! It’s our practice to verify insurance details for the patient regardless of having a referral. In most all instances, you will know ahead of time if you have a copay, deductible, or if you need an order to start physical therapy.
Another misconception with direct access is that an individual’s health is more at risk if they don’t see a physician first. Again, FALSE! Physical Therapists are doctors of their profession. Their training and education allows them to perform an initial evaluation that can recognize if a problem occurs that is beyond their scope of practice and provide referrals to other health professionals to ensure that you are on the right track!
So now that you know about direct access, did you also know that YOU have the right to choose what Physical Therapy location you want to go to! Your health care provider can make a recommendation on where you go for PT but ultimately, THE CHOICE IS YOURS! Not all physical therapy facilities are the same. With a wide variety of interventions available with PT, make sure you choose a facility that meets your needs!
For information about the services we offer, visit www.physicaltherapyptc.com. Last but certainly not least, give us a call if you have questions! We can help you determine if direct access is available to you under your insurance plan!
Let us know your thoughts and what you LIKE about your physical therapy facility!
PTC_therapy March 15th, 2017
Posted In: General