- According to the APTA, "as of January 2015 all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands have some form of direct access to physical therapist services.""
- A licensed physical therapist can evaluate and treat a patient without a physician's referral for 30 days with notable progress.
- A patient must have been seen by a physician in the last 12 months for direct access availability.
- There are certain insurances which continue to require a physician's referral for treatment.