Physical therapists: direct access to services: plan of care approval.

The Physical Therapy Practice Act creates the Physical Therapy Board of California and makes it responsible for the licensure and regulation of physical therapists. The act makes it a crime to violate any of its provisions. The act authorizes a patient to access physical therapy treatment directly from a licensed physical therapist if the treatment is within the scope of practice of physical therapists and prescribed conditions are met, including a treatment limit prohibiting the physical therapist from continuing treatment beyond 45 calendar days or 12 visits, whichever occurs first, without receiving specified doctor approval of the physical therapist's plan of care. The act exempts from that plan of care approval condition for continuing treatment the provision of certain wellness physical therapy services to a patient. This bill would also exempt from that condition the provision of physical therapy services as part of an individualized family service plan or an individualized education plan pursuant to specified state statutes and the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to an individual who does not have a medical diagnosis.