Athletico Applauds IL Bill for Direct Access to Physical Therapy

Last week Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law a bill that eliminates the requirement for patients to obtain a doctor’s prescription prior to seeking treatment from a licensed physical therapist. As a result, Illinois patients now have direct access to physical therapy treatment.

Gov. Rauner signed the legislation at a ceremony at the State Capitol on Thursday, August 16. Members of the Illinois Physical Therapy Association, including Athletico physical therapists and Athletico vice president of clinical operations Kevin Richardson, were on hand to celebrate the milestone.

“We would like to thank the governor, the legislature and the Illinois Physical Therapy Association for providing Illinois patients with the freedom to directly seek physical therapy treatment,” said Athletico CEO Mark Kaufman. “Removing the physician-referral requirement will give patients an opportunity to begin the treatment process sooner, and it will save them money. In addition, it will free up appointment times for medical doctors to see patients needing advanced medical treatment. This is ultimately a win for Illinois residents and the entire medical community.”

The measure is expected to reduce the need for unnecessary X-rays, MRIs, ultrasounds and opioid prescriptions. According to a recent BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina study, direct access to physical therapy led to a 31-percent reduction in total health care costs, 80-percent decrease in patient out-of-pocket costs and a 90-percent reduction in opioid use. A Health Services Research study also noted 27 percent of patients who visited a physical therapist directly for outpatient care had fewer visits and lower overall costs.

Illinois became the 45th state to allow patients to seek treatment from a physical therapist without a prescription or physician referral. Under the Illinois law, a physical therapist must refer a patient to a health care professional if they do not demonstrate measurable or functional improvement after 10 visits or 15 business days, whichever occurs first.

Athletico has more than 240 clinics across Illinois and all are immediately able to accept patients without a prescription. Athletico clinics also offer free assessments where patients meet with a physical therapist to learn about treatment options.