Senate Study Bill 1046 - Introduced SENATE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BILL BY CHAIRPERSON EDLER) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the referral of a patient for diagnostic 1 imaging by a physical therapist. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1677XC (3) 90 pf/rh

S.F. _____ Section 1. Section 148A.1, Code 2023, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 148A.1 Definitions —— referral —— authorization. 3 1. a. As used in this chapter , “board” : 4 a. “Board” means the board of physical and occupational 5 therapy created under chapter 147 . 6 b. As used in this chapter , “physical therapy” is that 7 “Physical therapy” means the branch of science that deals 8 with the evaluation and treatment of human capabilities and 9 impairments. Physical therapy uses the effective properties 10 of physical agents including , but not limited to , mechanical 11 devices, heat, cold, air, light, water, electricity, and sound, 12 and therapeutic exercises, and rehabilitative procedures to 13 prevent, correct, minimize, or alleviate a physical impairment. 14 (1) Physical therapy includes the interpretation of 15 performances, tests, and measurements, the establishment and 16 modification of physical therapy programs, treatment planning, 17 consultative services, instructions to the patients, and the 18 administration and supervision attendant to physical therapy 19 facilities. 20 (2) Physical therapy permits the referral of a patient 21 by a physical therapist for diagnostic imaging, including 22 plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging, provided the 23 results of the imaging are evaluated by a health care provider 24 who is qualified and permitted to interpret the results. 25 2. Physical therapy evaluation and treatment may 26 be rendered by a physical therapist with or without a 27 referral from a physician, podiatric physician, dentist, or 28 chiropractor, except that a hospital may require that physical 29 therapy evaluation and treatment provided in the hospital shall 30 be done only upon prior review by and authorization of a member 31 of the hospital’s medical staff. 32 EXPLANATION 33 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 34 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 35 -1- LSB 1677XC (3) 90 pf/rh 1/ 2

S.F. _____ This bill amends the definition of “physical therapy” to 1 permit the referral of a patient by a physical therapist for 2 diagnostic imaging, including plain radiographs and magnetic 3 resonance imaging, provided the results of the imaging are 4 evaluated by a health care provider who is qualified and 5 permitted to interpret the results. 6 -2- LSB 1677XC (3) 90 pf/rh 2/ 2