California residents gained improved access to physical therapy services when Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 1000 into law last month. Before the new law was passed, patients could only see physical therapists for an evaluation, fitness and wellness services, and treatment for a condition that had been the subject of a medical diagnosis. In other words, patients seeking relief from pain and injuries had to wait to get a physician diagnosis before a physical therapist could treat them. AB 1000, which goes into effect on January 1, 2014, expands patient access to physical therapy for immediate treatment for up to 45 days or 12 visits, whichever comes first.
There is no doubt that this is a victory for physical therapists across California who have continually fought for more direct access. Also beginning January 1, only physical therapists can own a physical therapy professional corporation. Other health care providers, such as chiropractors and physicians, may be shareholders of up to only 49%. Physical therapists can create multidisciplinary practices by hiring other licensed practitioners, including physicians, for their physical therapy corporations.
The most controversial provision in AB 1000 concerns referrals for profit, where providers refer individuals to services and facilities in which they have an ownership interest. In response to this concern, AB 1000 states that providers must disclose their ownership, verbally and in writing, to patients and inform patients that they have a choice of providers.
Unlike it's usual trend-setting, California is now the last of all other Western states to offer patients direct access to physical therapist treatment.
