Effective January 1, 2025, a recently passed Illinois law will impact providers’ ability to provide physical therapy (PT) via telehealth.

• Illinois licensed physical therapists are prohibited from providing physical therapy services without first conducting an in-person exam.
• Telehealth PT may only be performed if there is a documented hardship (e.g., geographical, physical, or weather-related conditions).
• According to the law, telehealth should not be the primary means for delivering PT care.
• Exceptions to the law’s prohibition of telehealth PT must be documented with clinical justification.
• Patients must be able to request and receive in-person care at any point during treatment.
• PT telehealth providers must also have the capacity to provide any patients receiving PT via telehealth with in-person care, within Illinois, if the patient requests it.
• This law will impact the ability of providers that primarily or exclusively offer PT via telehealth to operate within Illinois.