What's happening
This bill allows certified physical therapist assistants, under supervision, to provide care in the workers' compensation system and requires co-signing of their treatment notes.
Why it matters
Expands access to care by allowing certified physical therapist assistants (PTAs) to provide treatment in the workers' compensation system, potentially reducing wait times for injured workers and improving rehabilitation efficiency.
Emphasizes patient safety and accountability by requiring PTAs to work under the supervision of licensed physical therapists, who must assign patient activities and co-sign PTA treatment notes, ensuring oversight and quality control.
Directs the Workers’ Compensation Board to review and potentially adjust billing codes based on whether services are provided by a physical therapist or a PTA, which could impact provider reimbursement rates and administrative processes.
Explicitly prohibits PTAs from conducting independent medical examinations, maintaining clear professional boundaries and reserving higher-level clinical assessments for appropriately licensed clinicians.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow PT Assistants To Treat
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
29 Co-sponsors
- Michael Benedetto
- William Colton
- David Weprin
- Sean Ryan
- William Magnarelli
- Linda Rosenthal
- Barbara Lifton
- Albert A. Stirpe
- Steven Otis
- Steven Cymbrowitz
- Kevin Cahill
- David Buchwald
- Richard Gottfried
- Pamela J. Hunter
- Joseph Lentol
- Jeffrion Aubry
- Mark C. Johns
- Kenneth Blankenbush
- Karl Brabenec
- Kieran Michael Lalor
- Nicole Malliotakis
- Philip Palmesano
- Walter T. Mosley
- Robert C. Carroll
- Mike Reilly
- Brian D. Miller
- Amy Paulin
- Felix Ortiz
- Marianne Buttenschon
History
- Referred to labor
- Referred to labor
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3594
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ZEBROWSKI, BENEDETTO, COLTON, WEPRIN, RYAN, MAGNARELLI, L. ROSENTHAL, LIFTON, STIRPE, OTIS, CYMBROWITZ, CAHILL, BUCHWALD, GOTTFRIED, HUNTER, LENTOL, AUBRY, JOHNS, BLANKENBUSH, BRABE- NEC, LALOR, MALLIOTAKIS, PALMESANO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ABBATE, ABINANTI, ARROYO, CROUCH, DILAN, DINOWITZ, GOODELL, HAWLEY, HEVESI, LAWRENCE, LUPARDO, McDONOUGH, RA, RAIA, RIVERA, SIMON, THIELE, WOERNER, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Labor
AN ACT to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to physical therapy care provided through the workers' compensation system
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 1 of section 13-b of the workers' compensation law, as amended by chapter 473 of the laws of 2000, is amended to read as follows:
(d) Upon the referral which may be directive as to treatment of an authorized physician physical therapy care may be rendered by a duly licensed physical therapist or by a certified physical therapist assistant, provided that a certified physical therapist assistant shall work under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist performing such patient related activities as are assigned by the supervising physical therapist pursuant to article one hundred thirty-six of the education law. Where physical therapy care is rendered records of the patient's condition and progress, together with records of instruction for treatment, if any, shall be maintained by the physical therapist and physician. Physical therapists must co-sign physical therapist assistant treatment notes. Said records shall be submitted to the chair on such forms and at such times as the chair may require. Care provided by a licensed physical therapist or a certified physical therapist assistant shall be in accordance with article one hundred thirty-six of the education law. The chair, in consultation with the board's medical director, shall review physical therapy service codes to determine the appropri-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06522-01-9
A. 3594 2
ateness of modifiers, if any, based on the practitioner rendering the service and shall implement modifiers as appropriate. A certified physical therapist assistant shall not be authorized to perform independent medical examinations.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.