§ 6731 — Definition of physical therapy

§ 6731. Definition of physical therapy. Physical therapy is defined\nas:\n a. The evaluation, treatment or prevention of disability, injury,\ndisease, or other condition of health using physical, chemical, and\nmechanical means including, but not limited to heat, cold, light, air,\nwater, sound, electricity, massage, mobilization, and therapeutic\nexercise with or without assistive devices, and the performance and\ninterpretation of tests and measurements to assess pathophysiological,\npathomechanical, and developmental deficits of human systems to\ndetermine treatment, and assist in diagnosis and prognosis.\n b. The use of roentgen rays or radium, or the use of electricity for\nsurgical purposes such as cauterization shall not be included in the\npractice of physical therapy.\n c. Such treatment shall be rendered pursuant to a referral which may\nbe directive as to treatment by a licensed physician, dentist,\npodiatrist, nurse practitioner or licensed midwife, each acting within\nhis or her lawful scope of practice, and in accordance with their\ndiagnosis, except as provided in subdivision d of this section.\n d. Such treatment may be rendered by a licensed physical therapist for\nten visits or thirty days, whichever shall occur first, without a\nreferral from a physician, dentist, podiatrist, nurse practitioner or\nlicensed midwife provided that:\n (1) The licensed physical therapist has practiced physical therapy on\na full time basis equivalent to not less than three years.\n (2) Each physical therapist licensed pursuant to this article shall\nprovide written notice to each patient receiving treatment absent a\nreferral from a physician, dentist, podiatrist, nurse practitioner or\nlicensed midwife that physical therapy may not be covered by the\npatient's health care plan or insurer without such a referral and that\nsuch treatment may be a covered expense if rendered pursuant to a\nreferral. The physical therapist shall keep on file with the patient's\nrecords a form attesting to the patient's notice of such advice. Such\nform shall be in duplicate, with one copy to be retained by the patient,\nsigned and dated by both the physical therapist and the patient in such\nform as prescribed pursuant to regulations promulgated by the\ncommissioner.\n