Sec. 20-73. Licensure required for practice and use of title. Practice regulated. Fraud in obtaining licensure. Revocation of license.

(a)(1) No person may practice as a physical therapist unless licensed pursuant to this chapter. No person may use the term “Registered Physical Therapist”, “Licensed Physical Therapist”, “Doctor of Physical Therapy” or “Physical Therapist” or the letters “R.P.T.”, “L.P.T.” or “D.P.T.” or any other letters, words or insignia indicating or implying licensure as a physical therapist in this state unless the person is so licensed. No person may use the term Doctor of Physical Therapy or D.P.T. unless the person has earned a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from an accredited institution of higher education.

(2) No person may practice as a physical therapist assistant unless such person is licensed pursuant to this chapter and is under the supervision of a physical therapist licensed pursuant to this chapter. No person may use the term “Registered Physical Therapist Assistant”, “Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant” or “Physical Therapist Assistant”, or the letters “P.T.A.” to represent or imply the term “Physical Therapist Assistant”, or any other letters, words or insignia indicating or implying licensure as a physical therapist assistant in this state unless the person is so licensed.

(b) (1) The treatment of human ailments by physical therapy shall only be performed by a person licensed under the provisions of this chapter as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant. Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (2) and (3) of this subsection, such treatment may be performed by a licensed physical therapist without an oral or written referral by a person licensed in this state to practice medicine and surgery, podiatry, naturopathy, chiropractic or dentistry, or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a or a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d, provided the licensed physical therapist (A) was admitted to a bachelor's degree program prior to January 1, 1998, and has practiced physical therapy for at least four out of the most recent six years of his or her clinical practice, or earned a master's degree or higher in physical therapy from an accredited institution of higher education, (B) requires any person receiving such treatment to disclose or affirmatively confirm the identity of such person's primary care provider or health care provider of record upon each initial visit for treatment without an oral or written referral, (C) provides information to any person seeking such treatment regarding the need to consult with such person's primary care provider or health care provider of record regarding such person's underlying medical condition if the condition is prolonged, does not improve within a thirty-day period, or continues to require ongoing continuous treatment, and (D) refers any person receiving such treatment to an appropriate licensed practitioner of the healing arts if, upon examination or reexamination, the same condition for which the person sought physical therapy does not demonstrate objective, measurable, functional improvement in a period of thirty consecutive days or at the end of six visits, whichever is earlier.

(2) In any case in which a person seeking such treatment requires a Grade V spinal manipulation, such treatment shall only be performed (A) upon the oral or written referral of a person licensed in this state, or in a state having licensing requirements meeting the approval of the appropriate examining board in this state, to practice medicine and surgery, podiatry, naturopathy, chiropractic or dentistry, or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a or a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d, and (B) by a licensed physical therapist who (i) was admitted to a bachelor's degree program prior to January 1, 1998, and has practiced physical therapy for at least four out of the most recent six years of his or her clinical practice, or earned a master's degree or higher in physical therapy from an accredited institution of higher education, and (ii) holds a specialist certification in orthopedic physical therapy from the American Physical Therapy Association, or proof of completion of forty hours of course work in manual therapy, including Grade V spinal manipulation. Nothing in this section shall prevent a physical therapist from providing wellness care within the scope of physical therapy practice to asymptomatic persons without a referral. Nothing in this section shall require an employer or insurer to pay for such wellness care.

(3) In any case involving an injury, as described in section 31-275, such treatment shall only be performed upon the oral or written referral of a person licensed in this state or in a state having licensing requirements meeting the standards set by the Department of Public Health and the appropriate examining board in this state to practice medicine and surgery, podiatry, naturopathy, chiropractic or dentistry, or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-94a or a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with section 20-12d.

(c) Any person who violates the provisions of this section or who obtains or attempts to obtain licensure as a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant by any wilful misrepresentation or any fraudulent representation shall be guilty of a class D felony. A physical therapist, physical therapist assistant or dentist who violates the provisions of this section shall be subject to licensure revocation in the same manner as is provided under section 19a-17, or in the case of a healing arts practitioner, section 20-45. For purposes of this section each instance of patient contact or consultation in violation of any provision of this section shall constitute a separate offense. Failure to renew a license in a timely manner shall not constitute a violation for the purposes of this section.

(d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit or limit the ability of a person licensed or certified in a field other than physical therapy from providing wellness care that is within the scope of such person's practice.

(1949 Rev., S. 4407, 4409; 1953, S. 2209d, 2210d; 1959, P.A. 575, S. 5; P.A. 73-579, S. 3; P.A. 76-276, S. 18, 22; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 80-336, S. 3; P.A. 81-473, S. 19, 43; P.A. 84-526, S. 6; P.A. 93-55, S. 2; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 94-213, S. 3; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; 95-299, S. 3; P.A. 99-102, S. 24; P.A. 00-226, S. 15, 20; P.A. 03-209, S. 3, 4; P.A. 06-125, S. 2; 06-195, S. 82; P.A. 13-258, S. 74; P.A. 18-168, S. 67.)

History: 1959 act changed technical language, added provision which refers to Sec. 20-66 and reference to “Physical Therapist” and deleted stipulation that persons who are registered may so hold themselves out; P.A. 73-579 allowed therapist to practice under direction of person licensed to practice osteopathy; P.A. 76-276 substituted reference to Sec. 20-48 for repealed Sec. 20-48a and added reference to sections specifically applicable to revocation of physician's license; P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-336 rephrased provision setting forth conditions for practice of physical therapy and allowed practice under order or referral of practitioners in bordering states if licensure requirements of such state are approved and included podiatry, naturopathy, chiropractic and dentistry practitioners among those who may supervise therapists; P.A. 81-473 amended section to reflect change from registration to licensure; P.A. 84-526 amended section by changing penalty for violation of any provision of section to a fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than five years, and added provisions that each instance of patient contact or consultation shall constitute a separate offense and failure to renew license in timely manner is not a violation for purposes of section; P.A. 93-55 made technical changes; P.A. 93-381 replaced department of health services with department of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 94-213 added reference to prescriptions by advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-299 divided section into Subdivs. and added provisions to allow the registration of physical therapy assistants; P.A. 99-102 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting obsolete reference to osteopathy and making technical changes; P.A. 00-226 divided existing Subsec. (a) into Subsecs. (a)(1), (b) and (c), added Subsec. (a)(2) and made conforming changes in Subsecs. (b) and (c) re physical therapist assistants and deleted former Subsec. (b), effective the later of October 1, 2000, or the date notice is published by the Commissioner of Public Health in the Connecticut Law Journal indicating that the licensing of athletic trainers and physical therapist assistants is being implemented by the commissioner, i.e. April 11, 2006; P.A. 03-209 added provisions re providing wellness care without a referral and payment for such wellness care, added new Subsec. re provision of wellness care by persons licensed or certified in field other than physical therapy if within their scope of practice and made technical changes; P.A. 06-125 amended Subsec. (b) by designating existing provisions re permissible physical therapy treatment as Subdiv. (1), adding exception allowing for physical therapy treatment without an oral or written referral when specific conditions outlined in new Subparas. (A) to (D) are met, adding Subdiv. (2) re Grade V spinal manipulations and when they may be performed and adding Subdiv. (3) re treatment of injuries that fall under purview of Workers' Compensation Act; P.A. 06-195 amended Subsec. (b)(1)(A) and (2)(B) by modifying requirement that physical therapists seeking to treat without an oral or written referral or perform a Grade V spinal manipulation must have earned a bachelor's degree by January 1, 1998, to requirement that such physical therapists must have been admitted to a bachelor's degree program prior to said date; P.A. 13-258 amended Subsec. (c) to change penalty from fine of not more than $500 or imprisonment of not more than 5 years to a class D felony; P.A. 18-168 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding references to and provision re Doctor of Physical Therapy, effective July 1, 2018.

Notation

Former statute cited. 141 C. 288.