Physical Therapy Students Lobby To Change an Indiana State Law That Inhibits Patients from Seeking Care Without a Referral

Indiana Physical Therapy students recently lobbied to get a new House Bill hearing, to permit patients in America’s Hoosier State to see a Physical Therapist for up to 30 days without a referral from a physician. This measure, if passed, would enable Indiana to join 48 other U.S. states in permitting PTs to conduct an initial examination.

Other than Indiana, just three states remain as holdouts: Oklahoma, Michigan and Alabama. Some physical therapists say that the likelihood of a patient seeking aid from a masseuse, physical trainer or chiropractor before consulting a physical therapist’s consult in these 4 states is driving PTs away. Physical therapy students are calling the situation a “brain drain”, adding that highly trained recent graduates, i.e. doctors of physical therapy, are moving to more progressive states for physical therapist jobs; precisely why physical therapy students are leading the way in state legislation that gives their future patients easier access to the care they need—a measure that reinforces job stability for high-paying Indiana physical therapy jobs.

Take an Active Interest in Your Physical Therapy Career!

What about your physical therapy career? Do you keep abreast of healthcare trends that improve patient outcomes and create more work opportunities in rehab hospitals and clinics? Would you get involved at the legislative level, if it made the difference between stability in your physical therapy career, or being forced to move out of state to more effectively pursue your goals?