SB 196: Physical Therapist Practice Amendments - Utah

Substitute #2 → Enrolled · 4 edits · Mar 19, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates Utah law to officially recognize physical therapists as primary care providers for neuromusculoskeletal conditions, allowing them to be selected by patients for insurance coverage instead of just doctors. It also expands the legal definition of 'primary health care' to explicitly include physical therapy services alongside traditional medical care.

Scope change

The bill broadens the scope of who can serve as a primary care provider under health insurance policies, specifically adding physical therapists to the list of eligible providers for neuromusculoskeletal conditions.

ELIGIBILITY

Added physical therapists to the list of providers who can be selected as a primary care provider by insureds for neuromusculoskeletal conditions under accident and health insurance policies.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'primary health care' to explicitly include the services of physical therapists, nurses, physician assistants, and dentists.

REQUIREMENT

Updated insurance policy literature requirements to clearly state the new option for selecting a physical therapist as a primary care provider.

TIMELINE

Established the effective date of the bill as May 7, 2025.

Introduced → Substitute #1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to change the specific medical condition covered by physical therapists from 'musculoskeletal' to 'neuromusculoskeletal,' expanding the scope of services. Additionally, a new clause was added to explicitly state that physical therapists cannot practice outside their legal scope of practice under state law. Minor technical edits were also made to the definitions section regarding injury prevention language.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include neuromusculoskeletal conditions in addition to existing musculoskeletal conditions for physical therapist coverage options.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the eligible condition for physical therapist primary care selection from 'musculoskeletal condition' to 'neuromusculoskeletal condition'.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new subsection clarifying that physical therapists must still practice within their statutory scope of practice under Title 58.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of preventive health services to explicitly include preventing 'injury, disease, or its consequences' instead of just 'disease or its consequences'.

Substitute #1 → Substitute #2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill expands the definition of primary health care to include physical therapists and allows health insurance policies to let patients select physical therapists as primary care providers for neuromusculoskeletal conditions, while maintaining that physical therapists cannot practice outside their licensed scope.

Scope change

Expanded eligibility for primary care provider selection to include physical therapists for neuromusculoskeletal conditions, and added physical therapists to the list of providers whose services count as primary health care.

DEFINITION

Added physical therapists to the list of providers whose services are included in the definition of 'primary health care' under Utah Code Section 26B-4-301.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified Utah Code Section 31A-22-624 to allow health insurance policies to permit patients to select physical therapists as primary care providers specifically for neuromusculoskeletal conditions.

REQUIREMENT

Updated Section 31A-22-624 to clarify that physical therapists selected as primary care providers must still practice within their licensed scope of physical therapy under Title 58, Chapter 24b.

TECHNICAL

Made technical formatting changes to the bill text, including updating the House Sponsor name and adjusting line numbers and formatting throughout the document.

Physical Therapist Practice Amendments

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