Is a referral from a physician needed to perform physical therapy?
• South Dakota physical therapists have direct access privileges, meaning physical therapists in South Dakota can see patients without a physician’s referral. Unfortunately, many third party payers (insurance companies) will only reimburse physical therapy services accompanied by a physician’s referral. This means individuals without physician referrals may need to pay “out of pocket” for physical therapy services in South Dakota. Physical therapists in most states enjoy direct access privileges; however, there is still much work to be done in gaining insurance reimbursement for direct access to physical therapists. Patients should check with their insurance company before seeing a physical therapist to better understand session number and other limitations on insurance reimbursement.
