Maine is a direct access state, but what does that mean?

In the state of Maine you can come see a physical therapist without a referral from your medical provider first, you can “self refer”. This means that if you rolled your ankle while hiking over the weekend, you can call a physical therapy office and ask to be seen without seeing your primary care provider and getting a referral first. This allows you to come see a physical therapist directly; it can save you time by not going to an other appointment with your medical provider first, and can save you money by cutting down on appointments with other providers and possible imaging/testing, and can possibly get you feeling better faster by getting you in sooner.

The state practice act for physical therapy dictates that if no progress is made after 30 days, the patient is then referred to their provider for further evaluation. Your provider will be kept in the loop with treatment, and should progress not be made you will be referred for further evaluation.

Although this is permitted in the state of Maine, not all insurance plans allow for it, please check your plan for specifics if you require a referral or not.