On June 17, 2025, Aetna allowed direct access for physical therapy (PT) services. Aetna removed the requirement of a physician order for PT. Aetna also removed the requirement that a physician must sign the PT plan of care. Unfortunately, Aetna did not do the same for occupational therapy (OT) in June 2025. So, in 2026, what does Aetna require for outpatient OT services? Effective

Aetna has announced 2 major changes that have a significant impact on outpatient physical therapy services. In this article, I will answer the following questions:

In this article, I will answer the following questions regarding the Medicare program and direct access for outpatient therapy services:

Lately, I have been receiving questions regarding the Medicare program and does the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recognize and pay for direct access for outpatient therapy services. In this article, I will answer the following questions:

On May 23, 2019, House Bill (HB) 29 passed the Texas Senate and on June 14, 2019, Governor signed the bill into law. HB 29 will provide Texas residents the ability to have Direct Access for physical therapy services with an effective date of September 1, 2019. Highlights of HB 29 and Direct Access include: A physical therapist may treat a patient for an injury or condition in a manner described by Section 453.005 without a referral if the physical therapist: