Connecticut General Statutes 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.
Attorney's Note
Under the Connecticut General Statutes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class D felony | up to 5 years | up to $5,000 |
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 20-73
- Physical therapist: means a person licensed to practice physical therapy in this state. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-66
- Physical therapist assistant: means a person licensed to assist in the practice of physical therapy in this state under the supervision of a physical therapist. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-66
- Physical therapy: includes the establishment and modification of physical therapy programs, treatment planning, instruction, wellness care, peer review, consultative services and the use of low-level light laser therapy for the purpose of accelerating tissue repair, decreasing edema or minimizing or eliminating pain, but does not include surgery, the prescribing of drugs, the development of a medical diagnosis of disease, injury or illness, the use of cauterization or the use of Roentgen rays or radium for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-66
- supervision: means the overseeing of or the participation in the work of a physical therapist assistant by a licensed physical therapist, including, but not limited to: (A) Continuous availability of direct communication between the physical therapist assistant and a licensed physical therapist. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-66
- Wellness care: means services related to conditioning, strength training, fitness, workplace ergonomics or injury prevention. See Connecticut General Statutes 20-66
(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.