HB3402 amends the Illinois Physical Therapy Act to expand and clarify when physical therapy may be delivered through telehealth. The bill would allow a licensed physical therapist to perform an initial evaluation without a referral or established diagnosis via telehealth if, in the therapist’s clinical judgment, an in-person examination is not necessary and the applicable standard of care can still be met. It also preserves the ability of a physical therapist or physical therapist assistant to require an in-person visit when appropriate.
The bill further updates telehealth practice requirements by allowing the provider to either offer in-person care or facilitate a referral to in-person care within Illinois. It states that the standard of care for telehealth physical therapy is the same as for in-person care, and it keeps telehealth use tied to the broader Telehealth Act and Illinois Insurance Code framework.
Impact
HB3402 would modify Section 1.3 of the Illinois Physical Therapy Act, loosening prior limits that treated telehealth as a more limited exception for physical therapy. The bill would remove the requirement that an initial telehealth evaluation be tied to a documented hardship and would replace it with a clinical-judgment standard. It would also broaden provider obligations by allowing referral to in-person care within the state, rather than requiring the provider itself to have in-person capacity, and would codify parity in the standard of care between telehealth and in-person physical therapy.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the available record suggests a generally pro-telehealth, access-oriented approach. The measure appears designed to modernize physical therapy delivery and reduce barriers for patients who may benefit from remote evaluation and treatment. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history is provided in the materials, so there is no documented public controversy in the supplied context.
Contention
The main policy tension in HB3402 is between expanding access through telehealth and preserving clinical safeguards for patients who may need hands-on assessment. Supporters would likely favor the bill’s flexibility, especially the shift from a hardship-based exception to a therapist’s clinical judgment and the equal standard-of-care language. Potential critics could be concerned that initial evaluations without an in-person exam may be less reliable in some cases, or that telehealth could be overused unless providers carefully decide when an in-person visit is necessary. The bill addresses some of those concerns by allowing providers to require in-person care and by requiring referral capability within Illinois.
Includes physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants, respiratory therapists, respiratory therapy technicians, and recreational therapists within the existing statutory staffing standards for nursing homes.