Direct access means you can go directly to a licensed physical therapist for evaluation and treatment of pain and other movement-related issues without supervision, orders or prescriptions from other health care providers. However, some insurance plans may still require you to consult a physician first in order to be reimbursed for the services we provide. So, please check with your insurance provider before requesting an appointment with us.
New Jersey Direct Access Provisions/State Law
In the State of New Jersey, we must refer you to a health care professional licensed to practice dentistry, podiatry or medicine and surgery in New Jersey, or other appropriate licensed health care professional if:
- We have reason to believe that physical therapy is contraindicated or symptoms or conditions are present that require services outside of physical therapy are needed
- You failed to show reasonable progress within 30 days of initial treatment.
- Additionally, we must inform your licensed health care provider regarding his/her plan of care not more than thirty (30) days from the initial evaluation. If one does not exist, we will recommend that you consult with a licensed health care provider that can provide the care you need.
Why See a Physical Therapist First?
- You will have much quicker access the treatment you deserve.
- While each patient case is different, clinical research shows that Direct Access should save you money.
- Physical therapy visits last 30-60 minutes, so your condition is thoroughly evaluated.
- In many cases, seeing a physical therapist first will result in fewer overall treatment sessions.
- Some form of direct access to physical therapy is legal in every state in the United States, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.
We are trained in movement and movement-related injuries, so we can get to the root cause of your pain and design an individualized plan of care to address it. We are also trained to recognize red flags that may require care outside the scope of physical therapy. At that point, we will refer you to a physician or other healthcare specialist that can help you.
Please call (973) 857-1616 if you have questions, need care or know someone we can help.
