Primary Care Should Mean Primary Copay

Primary Care Should Mean Primary Copay

Keep Physical Therapy Affordable for Patients

Physical therapy helps people recover from injury, manage pain, and stay active — often without surgery, injections, opioids, imaging, or unnecessary doctor visits.

Physical therapists are already recognized as primary care providers in Utah.

Now we need copays to match.

When physical therapy is placed under a higher “specialty” copay, patients are penalized for choosing conservative, cost-effective care.

Why This Matters to Patients

For many people, a copay feels like the cost of one visit.

Physical therapy doesn’t work that way.

Most patients need multiple visits to fully recover — often 6 to 15 visits. When PT copays are $10–$50 higher per visit than primary care, the cost adds up quickly and becomes a barrier to care.

Higher copays lead to:

  • Delayed treatment
  • Incomplete recovery
  • Worse outcomes
  • Higher long-term healthcare costs

Patients should not be discouraged from finishing the care that helps them heal.

What We’re Asking

We are asking legislators to include physical therapy in the primary care copay, so patients are encouraged - not penalized - for choosing conservative care first.

This change:

  • Aligns policy with existing law
  • Improves patient access
  • Reduces long-term healthcare costs
  • Supports better outcomes

Take Action: Contact Your Representative

Hearing directly from patients makes a difference.

A short message from you - as a constituent - helps lawmakers understand how copays affect real people and real recovery.

Only 2 Quick Steps!
1 - Find your Representative.
2 - Click the link to send a prefilled message.

Step 1: Find Your Representative

You can find your Utah Representative by entering your address here:

Find Your Representative:

https://le.utah.gov/GIS/findDistrict.jsp

Once you locate your representative, continue to the next step.

Step 2:
LINK TO SEND A MESSAGE- Patient

LINK TO SEND A MESSAGE (PT, PTA, & Student)

PHONE SCRIPT

Hi, my name is [Your Name]. I’m a physical therapist / physical therapist assistant in [City], and I’m also a constituent.

I’m calling to ask Representative [Last Name] to support SB0204, the primary care copay bill for physical therapy.

Physical therapy is already recognized as primary care in Utah, and this bill just makes the copay reflect that.

The big issue I see every day is that patients are discouraged from starting physical therapy first because of higher specialty copays. PT isn’t a one-visit service, most people need 6 to 12 visits to fully recover. So when the copay is $10 to $50 higher per visit, that adds up fast and becomes a real barrier.

When patients delay PT or don’t finish care, they often end up needing imaging, injections, prescriptions, or even surgery, which costs everyone more.

The data is very clear: when PT is the first stop and copays are lower, patients have better outcomes and total healthcare costs go down.

If we want patients to choose the lowest-cost, lowest-risk care first, we should not financially punish them for doing so.

I’d really appreciate the Representative’s support on SB0204. Do you know if they’re planning to vote yes?

Thank you so much for your time.

VOICEMAIL

Hi, this is [Your Name]. I’m a physical therapist / PTA in [City] and a constituent.

I’m calling to ask Representative [Last Name] to please support SB0204. PT is already recognized as primary care, and the copay should match that.

Patients usually need 6 to 12 visits, and higher copays discourage them from starting or finishing care, which often leads to more expensive treatment like imaging, injections, or surgery.

Lower copays for PT have been shown to save money for patients and insurers and improve outcomes.

If we want patients to choose the lowest-cost, lowest-risk care first, we should not financially punish them for doing so.

I’d really appreciate your support. Thanks so much.

SB0204 – Rapid Fire Talking Points

Physical therapy is already recognized as primary care in Utah. The copay should reflect that policy decision.

SB0204 simply aligns PT with the primary care copay, nothing more.

PT is different from most healthcare:
  • Patients need 6–12 visits to complete care.
  • Higher copays multiply quickly.
  • A $10–$50 higher copay per visit becomes a real financial barrier.
  • Higher copays discourage patients from starting PT first, even when it’s the most appropriate care.
  • Higher copays also cause patients to drop out before completing care.
When patients delay or skip PT, they often end up with:
  • More imaging
  • More injections
  • More prescriptions (including opioids)
  • More surgeries
  • More physician visits
Early PT = lower total healthcare costs.

Data shows lower copays for PT:
  • Save insurers money
  • Save patients money
  • Improve outcomes
  • Reduce downstream spending
This bill does not expand scope.

This bill does not mandate utilization.

It simply removes a financial penalty for choosing conservative care first.

If we want patients to choose the lowest-cost, lowest-risk care first, we should not financially punish them for doing so.