If you’re an Aetna member looking to begin physical therapy, your road to recovery just got easier. Aetna has announced two major policy changes that remove long-standing administrative barriers to care. These changes mark a significant step toward improving patient access and autonomy in outpatient physical therapy.
What Are the Two Big Changes?
Effective June 17, 2025, Aetna will implement the following updates:
No Physician’s Order Required for Physical Therapy: Patients with Aetna coverage will no longer need a referral or order from a physician before starting outpatient physical therapy services. This streamlines access to care and supports the growing trend of direct access, where patients can begin treatment without waiting for a doctor’s approval.
The second update is No Physician Signature Required on the Plan of Care: Physical therapists are now no longer required to obtain a physician’s signature or approval for the written plan of care. This change allows therapists to begin and adjust treatment plans based on clinical judgment without added administrative hurdles. These changes mark a major step forward in removing unnecessary barriers to timely rehabilitation services.

These updates take effect on June 17, 2025. Claims submitted for services provided on or after that date will be subject to the new guidelines and Aetna has clarified that these updates apply only to outpatient physical therapy services.

Aetna’s decision to eliminate the physician order and signature requirements for physical therapy is a win for patients, therapists, and care access overall. By simplifying the process, Aetna is aligning with evidence-based practices that support direct access and empower physical therapists to deliver care quickly and effectively.

¨If you or someone you know might need physical therapy, please call us at 305-570-1633, or if you are interested in opening a Physical Therapy Franchise. Email us franchise@physicaltherapynow.com or visit our website at https://physicaltherapynow.com/franchise/

Physical Therapy Now was founded in 2015 by visionary entrepreneur Andy Zapata in Miami, Florida, born from a simple yet powerful mission: to restore movement, function, and hope for people of all walks of life. As a seasoned healthcare executive and advocate for underserved communities, Andy understood the profound impact that quality rehabilitative care can have—not just on individuals, but on families and communities as a whole.

The concept for Physical Therapy Now was developed through hands-on experience. Andy opened and operated five highly successful clinics across South Florida, each one serving as a testament to a model that combined evidence-based care with personalized attention, operational excellence, and culturally competent service. These clinics quickly earned a reputation for putting patients first, reducing pain, improving quality of life, and helping individuals regain their independence with dignity and compassion.

Recognizing the growing demand for accessible, high-quality physical therapy services—and driven by the success of these initial locations—Andy decided to expand the impact of his proven model through franchising. Thus, in the same year of its founding, Physical Therapy Now began its journey as a franchise company, empowering other entrepreneurs and healthcare professionals to bring the same level of care to their own communities.

Since its inception as a franchise, Physical Therapy Now has grown to include more than 50 locations across three states, including Florida and Texas. This growth has been fueled not just by market demand, but by a deeply rooted commitment to operational support, clinical excellence, and a strong community ethos. Franchise owners are supported with comprehensive training, marketing strategies, billing and compliance systems, and ongoing mentorship to ensure they succeed—not only as business owners but as healthcare leaders.

Today, Physical Therapy Now stands as a symbol of resilience, innovation, and accessibility in rehabilitative care. Each clinic operates with a consistent mission: to provide life-changing services to patients while building meaningful relationships within the communities they serve. Whether helping someone recover from surgery, manage chronic pain, or improve mobility after an accident, every therapist and support team member is driven by a common purpose: to help people live healthier, more active lives.

As Physical Therapy Now continues to grow, the vision remains clear—to become the most trusted name in physical rehabilitation across the United States, delivering exceptional care while uplifting the communities that need it most. Guided by its core values—Patients First, Teamwork with Heart, and Now Matters—the company is more than a network of clinics. It is a movement, redefining what it means to care in the modern age.

¨If you or someone you know might need physical therapy, please call us at 305-570-1633, or if you are interested in opening a Physical Therapy Franchise. Email us franchise@physicaltherapynow.com or visit our website at https://physicaltherapynow.com/franchise/

Pain is something most of us experience at some point in life. But not all pain is the same. Some types come on suddenly and go away quickly, while others linger for months or even years. Understanding the difference between acute and chronic pain is key to managing your health—and physical therapy can play a major role in treating both.

Acute pain is short-term pain that usually comes on suddenly and is directly related to a specific injury, illness, or event. It acts as a warning sign from your body that something is wrong. Common causes of acute pain include sprained ankle, post-surgical pain, back strain from lifting something heavy. Acute pain typically lasts a few days to a few weeks, depending on the cause. As the body heals, the pain gradually goes away.
Chronic pain lasts longer—usually 12 weeks or more, even after the original injury or condition has healed. It may start as acute pain but persist due to nerve involvement, inflammation, or other complex changes in the body’s pain signaling system. Chronic pain can interfere with sleep, mood, physical activity, and overall quality of life. Common causes of chronic pain include arthritis, fibromyalgia, long-term back or neck pain and nerve damage. Whether you’re dealing with a sudden injury or struggling with long-term pain, physical therapy offers a safe, drug-free, and highly effective solution. By targeting the source of your pain and teaching you how to move better, PT helps you recover faster, stay stronger, and feel more in control.

¨If you or someone you know might need physical therapy, please call us at 305-570-1633, or if you are interested in opening a Physical Therapy Franchise. Email us franchise@physicaltherapynow.com or visit our website at https://physicaltherapynow.com/franchise/

When a therapist—whether a full-time employee or a traveling clinician—leaves a practice, it’s not uncommon to discover unfinished documentation, such as a missing discharge report. One of the most frequently asked questions in this scenario is whether another therapist who never treated the patient can write the discharge report based solely on the existing notes in the medical record. Technically, the answer is yes—another licensed therapist could write the discharge summary. However, the real question is: should they?

Any therapist who signs their name and credentials on a discharge report becomes part of that patient’s case, regardless of whether they ever interacted with the patient directly. This can present several concerns. If an insurance company requests the records, or if the patient has an active workers’ compensation claim, pending lawsuit, or any other legal matter related to their care, the therapist who authored and signed that report could be pulled into the case. Without firsthand knowledge of the patient’s condition, progress, and outcomes, the substitute therapist may be at a disadvantage in justifying the clinical decisions or summarizing the treatment provided. While it’s permissible for a different therapist to write the discharge report based on existing documentation, it’s important to weigh the potential risks. Ideally, the therapist who evaluated and treated the patient should complete the discharge report. If that’s not possible, practices should implement a clear policy and ensure thorough internal documentation to protect both clinicians and the integrity of patient care.

¨If you or someone you know might need physical therapy, please call us at 305-570-1633, or if you are interested in opening a Physical Therapy Franchise. Email us franchise@physicaltherapynow.com or visit our website at www.physicaltherapynow/franchise¨

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