FAQs

The short answer is no! 

Direct Access refers to your legal right to be treated by a physical therapist without a prescription or referral, so there is nothing to worry about if you don’t have a prescription for physical therapy!

All fifty states and the District of Columbia have ruled enabling patients “Direct Access” to physical therapy services and programs. You can contact a physical therapist without a physician’s prescription or referral.

According to “The Patient’s Bill of Rights” law, you can decide what physical therapy clinic you choose for your care.

Although many physicians recommend a physical therapy clinic they may prefer, you are under no obligation to go to that clinic. No medical practitioner, insurance company, or other entity can insist you attend a physical therapy clinic. The choice is yours to make!

Your basic patient rights include these:

• The right to information about quality: You can look up information about medical practitioners’ credentials, statistics regarding hospitals and clinics, and what your health plan covers in easy-to-understand language.

• The right to choose a healthcare provider: Besides your primary healthcare provider, this also covers specialists, including physical therapists.

• The right to emergency services: You can’t be denied treatment in an emergency.

• The right to make decisions: It’s up to you to decide which course of treatment you want to follow.

• The right to respect: You must be treated with respect regardless of sex, age, race, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.

• The right to confidentiality: Your health information is private and cannot be released without your consent.

• The right to complain: All providers (insurance, physicians, clinics, hospitals, etc.) must have a grievance procedure.

All fifty states and the District of Columbia have made a ruling enabling patients “Direct Access” to physical therapy services and programs. You can contact a physical therapist without a physician’s prescription or referral. 

Call Flowstate Physical Therapy at (205) 248-7537 today if you have any questions!

Scheduling an appointment at Flowstate Physical Therapy in Tuscaloosa, AL is easier than ever! Our scheduling is easy; we offer a convenient location and appointment times. We have morning and evening appointments available to meet the demands of your busy schedule. 

Call us today at (205) 248-7537 or click here to request an appointment.

Physical therapists primarily measure your impairments and your functional limitations. 

Impairments include:

• Pain
• Weakness
• Loss of motion
• Paresthesias (numbness, tingling, pins, needles, etc.)

Functional limitations include:

• Lying
• Sleep
• Rolling over
• Getting up out of bed
• Sitting
• Moving from standing to sitting
• Moving from sitting to standing
• Standing
• Walking
• Level ground
• Stairs
• Uneven ground
• Running
• etc

Tracking your impairments and functional abilities gives physical therapists objective information to compare with initial measurements. In addition, your reports and personal experiences help to validate your improvements and clue your therapist to regressions and/or lack of progress.

The bottom line is that you should notice improvements in how you feel and function throughout therapy. If you are not following an anticipated path of progress, your therapist will reassess you. We’ll use the information to change your program or recommend further testing.

Although every patient is different, the initial session usually lasts 1 hour to an hour and 15 minutes. After that, each session will vary depending on your condition and progress; most often, it will last 45-60 minutes. 

Your unique needs will determine the length of time, which our therapist will discuss with you. In addition, you and your physical therapist will determine the frequency of your weekly appointments. 

It is common for your therapist to want to see you more often in the early stages of your care to assess your progress and confirm your treatment plan. In most cases, you will likely see your therapist twice a week initially and then make your appointments more spaced out as you proceed through treatment.

We understand that dealing with insurance can be complicated; therefore, Flowstate Physical Therapy would gladly assist you and answer your questions. It is essential to contact your insurance carrier to determine your coverage depending on your specific policy. 

Visit our insurance plans page for additional information, and please do not hesitate to contact our Tuscaloosa, AL physical therapy office. 

For your convenience, we provide a variety of payment alternatives.

Our clinic won’t turn a patient away for this reason! 

If you do not have insurance, that’s okay. For patients who do not have insurance, we offer cash-based options due at the time of service. 

Please get in touch with our Tuscaloosa, AL clinic and speak to our front desk about costs and setting up payment plans.

We ask all patients to bring a few things with them on their first visit to our office.

• Please go online and fill out our forms, print out the patient forms, complete them, and bring them with you for your initial evaluation. If you cannot do this or do not have access to a printer/computer, please allow extra time to fill these out upon arrival.

• Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to complete any remaining paperwork so that you can maximize your time in your evaluation.

• Please wear comfortable clothing that allows easy access to your problem areas.

• If you intend to use insurance, please bring your insurance information (we will make a copy of your card).

• Please bring any referrals, prescriptions, and test results from your referring physician, Nurse Practitioner, or physician assistant. 

• Bring any case manager or insurance adjuster’s contact names, phone numbers, and claim numbers in case of an automobile accident or worker’s compensation claim.

Please have your prescription and insurance card available when you call our office at (205) 248-7537. This will allow us to verify your insurance benefits and provide you with an estimate of coverage.

If you cannot attend your appointment due to illness or another emergency, please notify our clinic at least X hours before your scheduled appointment. 

A non-refundable charge of X dollars will be applied to any missed appointments that have not been rescheduled at least X hours in advance. 

Please reschedule your appointment with our front desk if you have been exposed to the COVID-19 virus so that we can maintain a safe, healthy environment for our patients and personnel.