SB0204 • 2026

Physical Therapy Payment Amendments

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Sen. McKell, Michael K.
Last action: 2026-03-18
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Physical Therapy Payment Amendments

This bill amends provisions related to health insurance cost sharing for physical therapists.

What This Bill Does

This bill amends provisions related to health insurance cost sharing for physical therapists.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-18 Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
Governor Signed
2026-03-13 Senate Secretary
Senate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
2026-03-13 Executive Branch - Governor
Senate/ to Governor
2026-03-11 Senate Secretary
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
2026-03-11 Senate Secretary
Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing
2026-03-06 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
2026-03-06 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
2026-03-05 Senate President
Senate/ received from House
2026-03-05 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ 2nd reading
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ 3rd reading
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ floor amendment
2026-03-04 Senate Secretary
House/ passed 3rd reading
2026-03-04 House Speaker
House/ received from Senate
2026-03-04 Senate President
House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
2026-03-04 Senate Secretary
House/ to Senate
2026-03-04 Senate President
House/ to Senate
2026-03-04 House Speaker
Senate/ concurs with House amendment
2026-03-04 Senate Concurrence Calendar
Senate/ placed on Concurrence Calendar
2026-03-04 Senate Secretary
Senate/ received from House
2026-03-04 House Speaker
Senate/ to House
2026-03-02 House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee
House/ committee report favorable
2026-03-02 House Rules Committee
House/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact
2026-02-27 House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-02-26 House Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee
House/ to standing committee
2026-02-25 House Rules Committee
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-02-24 Clerk of the House
House/ received from Senate
2026-02-24 Clerk of the House
Senate/ to House
2026-02-23 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 3rd reading
2026-02-23 Clerk of the House
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
2026-02-20 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 2nd reading
2026-02-20 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
2026-02-09 Senate Business and Labor Committee
Senate/ committee report favorable
2026-02-09 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
2026-02-06 Senate Business and Labor Committee
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-01-30 Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0204
2026-01-30 Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0204
2026-01-29 Senate Business and Labor Committee
Senate/ to standing committee
2026-01-28 Senate Rules Committee
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-01-28 Waiting for Introduction in the Senate
Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research
2026-01-27 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Bill Numbered but not Distributed
2026-01-27 Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0204
2026-01-27 Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0204
2026-01-27 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed

Official Summary Text

This bill amends provisions related to health insurance cost sharing for physical therapists.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

4
31A-22-624
31A-22-624
0
Physical Therapy Payment Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
House Sponsor: David Shallenberger
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill amends provisions related to health insurance cost sharing for physical therapists.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
requires a health insurer to use the same cost sharing methods that the insurer uses for
primary care providers for physical therapy services.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
31A-22-624
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 50
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
31A-22-624
is amended to read:
31A-22-624
. Primary care physician, physician assistant, or physical therapist.
(1)
An accident and health insurance policy that requires an insured to select a primary care
provider or physician to receive optimum coverage shall permit an insured to select a
participating provider who is:
(a)
(i)
an obstetrician;
(ii)
a gynecologist;
(iii)
a pediatrician; or
(iv)
a physician assistant who works with a physician:
(A)
providing primary care; or
(B)
described in Subsection
(1)(a)(i)
,
(ii)
, or
(iii)
; and
(b)
qualified and willing to provide primary care services, as defined by the health care
plan, as the insured's provider from whom primary care services are received.
(2)
Subject to Subsection
(5)
(6)
, an accident and health insurance policy that requires an
insured to select a primary care provider or physician to receive optimum coverage
may
shall
permit an insured to select a participating provider who is a physical therapist to
provide physical therapy services.
(3)
(a)
An accident and health insurance policy that provides coverage for physical
therapy services may not impose a copayment, coinsurance, or office visit deductible
for a covered physical therapy visit that exceeds the copayment, coinsurance, or
office visit deductible applicable to a visit with a primary care provider.
(b)
Subsection
(3)(a)
applies to a health benefit plan renewed or entered into on or after
January 1, 2027.
(3)
(4)
An accident and health insurance policy shall clearly state in literature explaining
the policy the options available to insureds under Subsections
(1)
and
(2)
.
(4)
(5)
An accident and health insurance policy may not impose a higher premium, higher
copayment requirement, or any other additional expense on an insured because the
insured selected a primary care physician in accordance with this section.
(5)
(6)
Notwithstanding Subsection
(2)
, nothing in this section permits a physical therapist
to practice physical therapy outside of the physical therapist's scope of practice under
Title 58, Chapter 24b, Physical Therapy Practice Act.
Section 2.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
January 1, 2027
.
3-6-26 8:27 AM