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Public Act 100-0418 | ||||
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AN ACT concerning regulation.
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Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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represented in the General Assembly:
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Section 5. The Illinois Insurance Code is amended by adding | ||||
Section 356z.25 as follows: | ||||
(215 ILCS 5/356z.25 new) | ||||
Sec. 356z.25. Dry needling by a physical therapist. A group | ||||
or individual policy of accident and health insurance or a | ||||
qualified health plan offered through the health insurance | ||||
market place is not required to provide coverage for dry | ||||
needling performed by a physical therapist as described in | ||||
Section 1.5 of the Illinois Physical Therapy Act. | ||||
Section 10. The Illinois Physical Therapy Act is amended by | ||||
changing Section 1 and by adding Section 1.5 as follows:
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(225 ILCS 90/1) (from Ch. 111, par. 4251)
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(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2026)
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Sec. 1. Definitions. As used in this Act:
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(1) "Physical therapy" means all of the following: | ||||
(A) Examining, evaluating, and testing individuals who | ||||
may have mechanical, physiological, or developmental | ||||
impairments, functional limitations, disabilities, or |
other health and movement-related conditions, classifying | ||
these disorders, determining a rehabilitation prognosis | ||
and plan of therapeutic intervention, and assessing the | ||
on-going effects of the interventions. | ||
(B) Alleviating impairments, functional limitations, | ||
or disabilities by designing, implementing, and modifying | ||
therapeutic interventions that may include, but are not | ||
limited to, the evaluation or treatment of a person through | ||
the use of the effective properties of physical measures | ||
and heat, cold, light, water, radiant energy, electricity, | ||
sound, and air and use of therapeutic massage, therapeutic | ||
exercise, mobilization, and rehabilitative procedures, | ||
with or without assistive devices, for the purposes of | ||
preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical or | ||
mental impairment, functional limitation, or disability. | ||
(C) Reducing the risk of injury, impairment, | ||
functional limitation, or disability, including the | ||
promotion and maintenance of fitness, health, and | ||
wellness. | ||
(D) Engaging in administration, consultation, | ||
education, and research.
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" Physical therapy "
includes, but is not limited to: (a) | ||
performance
of specialized tests and measurements, (b) | ||
administration of specialized
treatment procedures, (c) | ||
interpretation of referrals from physicians, dentists, | ||
advanced practice nurses, physician assistants,
and podiatric |
physicians, (d) establishment, and modification of physical | ||
therapy
treatment programs, (e) administration of topical | ||
medication used in generally
accepted physical therapy | ||
procedures when such medication is either prescribed
by the | ||
patient's physician, licensed to practice medicine in all its | ||
branches,
the patient's physician licensed to practice | ||
podiatric medicine, the patient's advanced practice nurse, the | ||
patient's physician assistant, or the
patient's dentist or used | ||
following the physician's orders or written instructions, and | ||
(f) supervision or teaching of physical therapy , and (g) dry | ||
needling in accordance with Section 1.5 .
Physical therapy does | ||
not include radiology, electrosurgery, chiropractic
technique | ||
or determination of a differential
diagnosis; provided, | ||
however,
the limitation on determining a differential | ||
diagnosis shall not in any
manner limit a physical therapist | ||
licensed under this Act from performing
an evaluation pursuant | ||
to such license. Nothing in this Section shall limit
a physical | ||
therapist from employing appropriate physical therapy | ||
techniques
that he or she is educated and licensed to perform. | ||
A physical therapist
shall refer to a licensed physician, | ||
advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, dentist, | ||
podiatric physician, other physical therapist, or other health | ||
care provider any patient
whose medical condition should, at | ||
the time of evaluation or treatment, be
determined to be beyond | ||
the scope of practice of the physical therapist.
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(2) "Physical therapist" means a person who practices |
physical therapy
and who has met all requirements as provided | ||
in this Act.
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(3) "Department" means the Department of Professional | ||
Regulation.
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(4) "Director" means the Director of Professional | ||
Regulation.
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(5) "Board" means the Physical Therapy Licensing and | ||
Disciplinary Board approved
by the Director.
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(6) "Referral" means a written or oral authorization for | ||
physical therapy services for a patient by a physician, | ||
dentist, advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, or | ||
podiatric physician who maintains medical supervision of the | ||
patient and makes a diagnosis or verifies that the patient's | ||
condition is such that it may be treated by a physical | ||
therapist.
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(7) "Documented current and relevant diagnosis" for the | ||
purpose of
this Act means a diagnosis, substantiated by | ||
signature or oral verification
of a physician, dentist, | ||
advanced practice nurse, physician assistant, or podiatric | ||
physician, that a patient's condition is such
that it may be | ||
treated by physical therapy as defined in this Act, which
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diagnosis shall remain in effect until changed by the | ||
physician, dentist, advanced practice nurse, physician | ||
assistant,
or podiatric physician.
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(8) "State" includes:
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(a) the states of the United States of America;
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(b) the District of Columbia; and
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(c) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
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(9) "Physical therapist assistant" means a person licensed | ||
to assist a
physical therapist and who has met all requirements | ||
as provided in this Act
and who works under the supervision of | ||
a licensed physical therapist to assist
in implementing the | ||
physical therapy treatment program as established by the
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licensed physical therapist. The patient care activities | ||
provided by the
physical therapist assistant shall not include | ||
the interpretation of referrals,
evaluation procedures, or the | ||
planning or major modification of patient programs.
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(10) "Physical therapy aide" means a person who has | ||
received on
the job training, specific to the facility in which | ||
he is employed.
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(11) "Advanced practice nurse" means a person licensed as | ||
an advanced practice nurse under the Nurse Practice Act. | ||
(12) "Physician assistant" means a person licensed under | ||
the Physician Assistant Practice Act of 1987.
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(Source: P.A. 98-214, eff. 8-9-13; 99-173, eff. 7-29-15; | ||
99-229, eff. 8-3-15; 99-642, eff. 7-28-16; revised 10-27-16.)
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(225 ILCS 90/1.5 new) | ||
Sec. 1.5. Dry needling. | ||
(a) For the purpose of this Act, "dry needling", also known | ||
as intramuscular therapy, means an advanced needling skill or | ||
technique limited to the treatment of myofascial pain, using a |
single use, single insertion, sterile filiform needle (without | ||
the use of heat, cold, or any other added modality or | ||
medication), that is inserted into the skin or underlying | ||
tissues to stimulate trigger points. Dry needling may apply | ||
theory based only upon Western medical concepts, requires an | ||
examination and diagnosis, and treats specific anatomic | ||
entities selected according to physical signs. Dry needling | ||
does not include the stimulation of auricular points, | ||
utilization of distal points or non-local points, needle | ||
retention, application of retained electric stimulation leads, | ||
or the teaching or application of other acupuncture theory. | ||
(b) A physical therapist licensed under this Act may only | ||
perform dry needling under the following conditions as | ||
determined by the Department by rule: | ||
(1) Prior to completion of the education under | ||
paragraph (2) of this subsection, successful completion of | ||
50 hours of instruction in the following areas: | ||
(A) the musculoskeletal and neuromuscular system; | ||
(B) the anatomical basis of pain mechanisms, | ||
chronic pain, and referred pain; | ||
(C) myofascial trigger point theory; and | ||
(D) universal precautions. | ||
(2) Completion of at least 30 hours of didactic course | ||
work specific to dry needling. | ||
(3) Successful completion of at least 54 practicum | ||
hours in dry needling course work approved by the |
Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy or its | ||
successor (or substantial equivalent), as determined by | ||
the Department. Each instructional course shall specify | ||
what anatomical regions are included in the instruction and | ||
describe whether the course offers introductory or | ||
advanced instruction in dry needling. Each instruction | ||
course shall include the following areas: | ||
(A) dry needling technique; | ||
(B) dry needling indications and | ||
contraindications; | ||
(C) documentation of dry needling; | ||
(D) management of adverse effects; | ||
(E) practical psychomotor competency; and | ||
(F) the Occupational Safety and Health | ||
Administration's Bloodborne Pathogens standard. | ||
Postgraduate classes qualifying for completion of the | ||
mandated 54 hours of dry needling shall be in one or more | ||
modules, with the initial module being no fewer than 27 | ||
hours, and therapists shall complete at least 54 hours in | ||
no more than 12 months. | ||
(4) Completion of at least 200 patient treatment | ||
sessions under supervision as determined by the Department | ||
by rule. | ||
(5) Successful completion of a competency examination | ||
as approved by the Department. | ||
Each licensee is responsible for maintaining records of the |
completion of the requirements of this subsection (b) and shall | ||
be prepared to produce such records upon request by the | ||
Department. | ||
(c) A newly-licensed physical therapist shall not practice | ||
dry needling for at least one year from the date of initial | ||
licensure unless the practitioner can demonstrate compliance | ||
with subsection (b) through his or her pre-licensure | ||
educational coursework. | ||
(d) Dry needling may only be performed by a licensed | ||
physical therapist and may not be delegated to a physical | ||
therapist assistant or support personnel. | ||
(e) A physical therapist shall not advertise, describe to | ||
patients or the public, or otherwise represent that dry | ||
needling is acupuncture, nor shall he or she represent that he | ||
or she practices acupuncture unless separately licensed under | ||
the Acupuncture Practice Act.
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Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | ||
becoming law.
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