Sec. 20-73. Licensure required for practice and use of title. Practice regulated. Fraud in obtaining licensure. Revocation of license.
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" or "Physical
Therapist" or the letters "R.P.T.", "L.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.
(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, natureopathy, 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, natureopathy, 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, natureopathy, 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 fined not more than five
hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than five years, or both. 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.)
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, natureopathy,
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.
Former statute cited. 141 C. 288.