House File 174 - Enrolled
House File 174
AN ACT
RELATING TO THE REFERRAL OF A PATIENT FOR DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING BY
A PHYSICAL THERAPIST.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 148A.1, Code 2023, is amended to read as
2 follows:
3 148A.1 Definitions —— referral —— authorization.
4 1. a. As used in this chapter, “board”:
5 a. “Board” means the board of physical and occupational
6 therapy created under chapter 147.
7 b. As used in this chapter, “physical therapy” is that
8 “Physical therapy” means the branch of science that deals
9 with the evaluation and treatment of human capabilities and
10 impairments. Physical therapy uses the effective properties
11 of physical agents including, but not limited to, mechanical
12 devices, heat, cold, air, light, water, electricity, and sound,
13 and therapeutic exercises, and rehabilitative procedures to
14 prevent, correct, minimize, or alleviate a physical impairment.
15 (1) Physical therapy includes the interpretation of
16 performances, tests, and measurements, the establishment and
17 modification of physical therapy programs, treatment planning,
18 consultative services, instructions to the patients, and the
19 administration and supervision attendant to physical therapy
20 facilities.
21 (2) Physical therapy permits the referral of a patient
22 by a physical therapist for diagnostic imaging, including
 House File 174, p. 2
23 plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging, provided
24 the diagnostic imaging is performed and the results are
25 interpreted by an appropriately licensed and qualified health
26 care professional. The physical therapist who ordered the
27 diagnostic imaging shall report the results of the diagnostic
28 imaging to the patient’s designated primary care provider
29 within seven days following receipt of the results to ensure
30 patient coordination of care, unless the patient does not
31 have a designated primary care provider or the health care
32 professional who performed and interpreted the diagnostic
33 imaging previously provided the results to the primary care
34 provider.
35 2. Physical therapy evaluation and treatment may
1 be rendered by a physical therapist with or without a
2 referral from a physician, podiatric physician, dentist, or
3 chiropractor, except that a hospital may require that physical
4 therapy evaluation and treatment provided in the hospital shall
5 be done only upon prior review by and authorization of a member
6 of the hospital’s medical staff.
______________________________ ______________________________
PAT GRASSLEY AMY SINCLAIR
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
I hereby certify that this bill originated in the House and
is known as House File 174, Ninetieth General Assembly.
______________________________
MEGHAN NELSON
Chief Clerk of the House
Approved _______________, 2023 ______________________________
KIM REYNOLDS
Governor


Statutes affected:
Reprinted: 148A.1
Enrolled: 148A.1