Texas direct access: what it means for physical therapy
Unofficial source · confirm with the payer Some facts on this page come from a secondary source (a professional association, a billing guide or a published summary), not from the payer's own documents. Each one is marked and links to where we read it; confirm it with the payer before you rely on it.
By Javier Alvarez · Updated · 1 min read
1 row: State law · Texas. Public policy, not the member's benefits.
Texas direct access
Texas Occupations Code s. 453.301 · Texas
Unofficial source · confirm with the payer: some facts in this row come from a secondary source, not the payer.
| State law | A Texas PT may treat without a referral if licensed at least one year, covered by professional liability insurance, and holding a DPT or 30 hours of continuing competence in differential diagnosis. [1] Unofficial source · confirm with the payer |
|---|---|
| Visit limits | Treatment without a referral is limited to 10 consecutive business days, or 15 for a PT with a DPT who also completed a residency or fellowship or holds an approved certification. A referral is required to continue past that. [1] Unofficial source · confirm with the payer |
| Also | A PT who treats without a referral must get a signed disclosure in which the patient acknowledges that the patient's health insurance may not include coverage for the PT's services. [1] Unofficial source · confirm with the payer |
- Texas Occupations Code s. 453.301, as reproduced by Texas.Public.Law (statute text accessed May 2025) (secondary source), checked October 30, 2026
What the Texas law says
- State law. A Texas PT may treat without a referral if licensed at least one year, covered by professional liability insurance, and holding a DPT or 30 hours of continuing competence in differential diagnosis. (Unofficial source · confirm with the payer)
- Visit limits. Treatment without a referral is limited to 10 consecutive business days, or 15 for a PT with a DPT who also completed a residency or fellowship or holds an approved certification. A referral is required to continue past that. (Unofficial source · confirm with the payer)
- Also. A PT who treats without a referral must get a signed disclosure in which the patient acknowledges that the patient's health insurance may not include coverage for the PT's services. (Unofficial source · confirm with the payer)
The law sets a floor for the plans it reaches; the plan's own policy still decides the codes, units and authorization. On the benefits call, ask whether the plan is fully insured in Texas, and if a covered service is denied, name the statute in the appeal.