Direct Patient Access
Direct Access Removes Barriers, Saves Money, and May Improve Outcomes. It’s Physical Therapy Without a Physician Referral.
Maybe you have nagging knee pain every time you run more than a mile. Or you woke up with a kink in your neck. Perhaps you’ve been dealing with low back pain for years and have never tried physical therapy.
Direct access could be for you.
What Is Direct Access?
Direct access is the ability to see a physical therapist without first obtaining a referral from a physician. As of 2015, 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Virgin Islands have some form of direct access.
Why Choose Performance Physical Therapy for Direct Access?
While not every insurance company pays for physical therapy without a referral, everyone is eligible for a 10- to 15-minute complimentary screening at a Performance Physical Therapy. If after the complimentary screening it is determined physical therapy is appropriate for you, we can move to comprehensive initial evaluation. At that point we can do an affordable cash pay option or bill your insurance. Because all of Performance Physical Therapy’s clinics have a direct access policy, it’s easy to find convenient treatment, which often begins the very same day.
We encourage patients to come by one of our clinics or set up an appointment, even without a doctor’s referral. And if you don’t have a doctor, we have great relationships with many specialized practitioners in the communities we serve and can help connect you to a trusted local physician.
Removing Barriers to Physical Therapy
Direct access removes many of the barriers to physical therapy and provides the following benefits to patients.
- Saves time. Instead of spending time on the phone or in a waiting room to arrange a referral, you can call or contact Performance Therapy directly to set up an appointment, or even walk into one of our conveniently located clinics. Studies show that direct-access therapy services result in fewer general practitioner visits and hospital admissions than those arranged via physician referral.
- Saves money. Direct access may lower the cost of health care for the patient because it eliminates the need for a doctor’s visit to obtain a referral. Studies have also found that when a patient receives therapy services first, it decreases the need for costly imaging and medications.
- Speeds recovery. Through direct access, patients can experience less pain and a faster recovery. Research indicates that direct access patients generally had better outcomes at discharge and achieved it in fewer visits than those referred by physicians. Patients also reported a higher degree of satisfaction with therapy through direct access.
While the guidelines for direct access vary according to state law, our knowledgeable intake personnel can verify benefits and explain Direct Access as it relates to your insurance. Most insurance plans, including Medicare, now honor some form of direct access. Co-payments for treatment still apply, but the initial screening is always complimentary.
Direct Access Gets You in the Door
Come by or contact a Performance Therapy clinic so that we can explain more about direct access and help you understand the benefits of physical therapy and the services that our clinics offer. We have locations in Folsom, Roseville, Rancho Cordova and East Sacramento, so come directly to us whenever you need us — no referral necessary. Book your appointment today!