Students seeking physical therapy services at University Health Services (UHS) no longer need a physician's written referral to receive treatment.

While students were previously required to see a physician before receiving physical therapy services, UHS is now offering direct access physical therapy. A law passed by the state allows students to access physical therapy services without seeing a physician for a referral beforehand, said Linda Eck, manager of the physical therapy department at UHS.

Penn State is one of the few schools that has made direct access physical therapy available and is currently the only Big Ten university offering it, Eck said.

"[Direct access] saves them that extra step from having to go to that doctor's visit or paying for a doctor's visit before they go to physical therapy," Eck said. "We become a new entry point in the healthcare system."

During their first visit, students must be evaluated by a triage nurse to ensure they meet the criteria necessary to continue on to therapy, Eck said. The direct access law states that UHS can only treat individuals without conditions that are neurological or musculoskeletal in nature and do not have current pulmonary or cardiac conditions, she said.

Patients' first visits will also include an initial evaluation to assess their current problems and to determine what needs to be addressed in future therapy sessions.

After 30 days, direct access requires patients to see a physician before they can continue receiving treatment if they are not making progress or they need additional therapy, Eck said. Students can schedule an appointment with a UHS physician, who can write a referral for continued therapy, she added.

According to a notice from the Board of Physical Therapy, the direct access law gained legislative approval in Pennsylvania in August 2004, making available a certificate of authorization, which is a requirement for licensed physical therapists to legally practice direct access physical therapy.

Last semester Jim Morris (senior-civil engineering) said he saw physicians at Mount Nittany Medical Center and UHS before he was able to receive physical therapy at both locations for a shoulder injury. Morris said visiting multiple physicians and figuring out insurance coverage at each place was frustrating. But if direct access had been available, he said, the process would have been much more convenient.

"It was a pain getting everything sorted out, and there's so much checking to see if everything's covered by the insurance companies," Morris said.

Although fees for physical therapy at UHS vary depending on length of therapy, specific conditions and the treatments required during visits, students can expect to pay between $25 and $60 per session, Eck said.

Though most major insurance companies in Pennsylvania seem to be covering direct access at UHS, she said, students should still make sure they have coverage before coming in to avoid any inconvenience.

"[The prices at UHS] are well below what they would pay outside of here," Eck said.

Eck said she believes UHS is becoming more aware of students' healthcare needs as students are learning about the services UHS offers.

"We think once the word's out there, students will increase utilization of services out there," she said.