State Telehealth Laws, Regulations, Policies, and Guidance

Since early 2020, the ability of physical therapists to treat patients via telehealth has expanded rapidly, fueled

by the necessity of providing continuity of care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the public

health emergency, many states laws and regulations were silent on whether PTs could treat patients via

telehealth. As states began implementing shutdowns in spring 2020, many states issued emergency orders

and guidance explicitly permitting PTs to provide services via telehealth and mandating insurance

reimbursement for those services. Some states, including Colorado and New Hampshire, codified into statute

the emergency expansions in their states last year, recognizing that telehealth should permanently be part of

their state’s health care delivery system, given its success during the pandemic.

Numerous states introduced bills to codify the expanded use of telehealth during the 2021 legislative session

and H.R. 2168, the Expanded Telehealth Act of 2021, has been introduced in the U.S. House of

Representatives to make permanent the Medicare rules expanding telehealth that were issued in April 2020.

Below is a state-by-state chart that links to current state laws, regulations, executive orders, policies, and

guidance governing telehealth for physical therapy The information and links for each state are current to the

best of APTA’s knowledge as of the “Last updated” date at the bottom of the document. States can put

different conditions on the delivery of physical therapy services via telehealth, so it is important to follow any

protocols and limitations specific to your state. It is also important to know that physical therapists and physical

therapist assistants, where allowed, are able to maintain necessary standards of care for any treatment

provided through telehealth.

Note: APTA cannot provide legal advice, so if you have questions about your state’s rules governing

telehealth, you are advised to seek the latest guidance from your licensing board and insurance carriers before

providing physical therapy services via telehealth.

State

PTs Permitted

to Practice

Using

Telehealth?

Authority

Alabama Yes Alabama PT board telehealth guidance

Alaska Yes

Standards for the practice of telerehabilitation by Physical

Therapists

Arizona Yes

HB 2454 (Enacted 2021) includes physical therapists as eligible

providers (see pgs. 46-51)

Arkansas Yes AR PT Telehealth Rule

California Yes

California Business and Professions Code 2290.5 includes all

licensed healthcare providers as eligible to provide telehealth

Colorado Yes

Colorado PT Board guidelines on the appropriate use of

telehealth

Connecticut Yes

Connecticut Telehealth Statute includes physical therapists as

eligible providers

State Telehealth Laws,

Regulations, Policies, and

Guidance

American Physical Therapy Association / 2

Delaware Yes Delaware PT Practice Act explicitly allows telehealth

District of

Columbia

Yes

Guidance on Telehealth in the District of Columbia includes

physical therapists as eligible providers (During COVID-19)

Florida Yes

Florida Statute on Telehealth provides that all licensed

healthcare providers may use telehealth

Georgia Yes Georgia PT Board Telehealth Policy – see page 9

Hawaii Silent No reference found

Idaho Yes

Idaho Telehealth Access Act includes physical therapists as

eligible providers

Illinois Yes

Executive Order to Expand Telehealth Services includes

physical therapists as eligible providers (During COVID-19)

Indiana Yes

SB 3 includes physical therapists (but not PTAs) as eligible

providers

Iowa Yes Iowa Administrative Code on Physical Therapy Telehealth

Kansas Silent No reference found

Kentucky Yes Kentucky Statute on Telehealth for Physical Therapy

Louisiana Yes Louisiana PT Board Guidance on Telehealth

Maine Yes

L.D. 791 (Enacted 2021) includes physical therapists as eligible

providers

Maryland Yes

Maryland Board of Physical Therapy Examiners position on

Telehealth

Massachusetts Yes

Executive Order Expanding Access to Telehealth Services

includes physical therapists as eligible providers (During COVID-

19, thru 10/31/2021 or until rescinded)

Michigan Yes

SB 753 (Enacted 2016) includes physical therapists as eligible

providers

Minnesota Silent No reference found

Mississippi Yes Mississippi Board of PT Telehealth Rules

Missouri Yes

Revised Missouri Statutes §191.1145 includes physical

therapists as eligible providers

Montana Yes Montana statutory definition of PT includes Telehealth

Nebraska Yes

Nebraska Telehealth Act includes physical therapists as eligible

providers

Nevada Yes

Nevada Telehealth Statute includes physical therapists as

eligible providers – see NRS 629.510 and NRS 629-515

New Hampshire Yes New Hampshire Code Title XXXVII §415J:2

New Jersey Yes

New Jersey Telemedicine and Telehealth Act includes physical

therapists as eligible providers

American Physical Therapy Association / 3

New Mexico Yes

New Mexico HB 581 includes physical therapists as eligible

providers

New York Yes New York Telehealth Guidelines for Physical Therapists

North Carolina Yes North Carolina Board of PT Telehealth Statement

North Dakota Yes North Dakota PT Practice Act includes telehealth in definitions

Ohio Yes Ohio Board of PT Statement on Telehealth

Oklahoma Yes Physical Therapy Telehealth Act

Oregon Yes Oregon Board of PT Telehealth Standards

Pennsylvania Silent No reference found

Rhode Island Yes

Rhode Island Telemedicine Coverage Act includes physical

therapists as eligible providers

South Carolina Silent No reference found

South Dakota Silent No reference found

Tennessee Yes

HB 8002 allows telehealth or telemedicine services to be

provided by any provider licensed under Title 63 or Title68

Texas Yes Texas Board of PT Examiners Telehealth Rule

Utah Yes

Utah Telehealth Act includes physical therapists as eligible

providers

Vermont Yes

OPR’s Telehealth and COVID-19 Guidance On March 30, 2020,

Governor Scott signed emergency legislation that allows

individuals who are licensed in another state to provide

telehealth to Vermonters without a license.

Virginia Yes Virginia Board of PT Guidance on Telehealth

Washington Yes

Washington Administrative Code on the Use of Telehealth in

Physical Therapy

West Virginia Yes

West Virginia Board of PT Telehealth Regulations (see pages

11-12)

Wisconsin Yes

Wisconsin Telehealth Guidance includes physical therapists as

eligible providers

Wyoming Yes

Wyoming Board of PT Guidance on the Practice of Telehealth by

PTs (Thru 12/31/2021)

Last Updated: 08/17/2021

Contact: advocacy@apta.org