103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
HB5087
 
Introduced 2/8/2024, by Rep. Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr.
 
SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
225 ILCS 90/1.3 new
    Amends the Illinois Physical Therapy Act. Provides that physical therapy through telehealth services may be used to address access issues to care, enhance care delivery, or increase the physical therapist's ability to assess and direct the patient's performance in the patient's own environment. Provides that a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant working under the general supervision of a physical therapist may provide physical therapy through telehealth services pursuant to the terms and use defined in the Telehealth Act and the Illinois Insurance Code under specified conditions.


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A BILL FOR
 
HB5087LRB103 37253 RTM 67373 b

1    AN ACT concerning regulation.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Physical Therapy Act is amended by 
5adding Section 1.3 as follows:
 
6    (225 ILCS 90/1.3 new)
7    Sec. 1.3. Telehealth services.
8    (a) Physical therapy through telehealth services may be 
9used to address access issues to care, enhance care delivery, 
10or increase the physical therapist's ability to assess and 
11direct the patient's performance in the patient's own 
12environment. 
13    (b) A physical therapist or physical therapist assistant 
14working under the general supervision of a physical therapist 
15may provide physical therapy through telehealth services 
16pursuant to the terms and use defined in the Telehealth Act and 
17the Illinois Insurance Code subject to the following 
18conditions: 
19        (1) Initial physical therapy evaluations without a 
20    referral or established diagnosis may only be performed by 
21    a licensed physical therapist and cannot be performed via 
22    telehealth unless necessary to address a documented 
23    hardship, including, but not limited to, geographical, 
 
 
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1    physical, or weather-related conditions. 
2        (2) The use of telehealth as a primary means of 
3    delivering physical therapy must be an exception and 
4    documentation must support the clinical justification. 
5        (3) A patient receiving physical therapy must be able 
6    to request and receive in-person care at any point during 
7    their treatment. 
8        (4) A physical therapist providing telehealth must 
9    have the capacity to provide in-person care within the 
10    State of Illinois.