Florida Therapy Practice Guide: PT, OT and SLP

For OT, PT and SLP clinics in Florida: three state boards license the disciplines; a patient may start physical therapy without a referral, and a practitioner of record must review and sign the plan if treatment runs beyond 30 days; Florida Medicaid covers children’s therapy under EPSDT and adults within its own rules; and telehealth follows the patient’s location.⁠^1,2,3,4,5

Key takeaways

In Florida, physical therapists are licensed by the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice, occupational therapists by the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice and speech-language pathologists by the Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, each under its own licensing law and rules.⁠^1,6,7
For physical therapy, a licensed physical therapist may treat a patient under a plan of treatment the therapist develops, but if treatment is needed beyond 30 days for a condition no practitioner of record has assessed, a practitioner of record must review and sign the plan, and the therapist must refer the patient to or consult with a practitioner of record when the condition is outside the scope of physical therapy; Florida Medicaid’s fee-for-service authorization requests include the ordering provider’s information and a copy of the physician’s order where one applies.⁠^2,8
Florida Medicaid covers occupational, physical and speech therapy for children under EPSDT, and its adult coverage follows the limits in its provider manual.⁠^3,4,5,9,10
Telehealth to a patient in Florida requires authority to practice where the patient is located; the PT Compact, the OT Compact and the ASLP Interstate Compact stand as their commissions state for Florida.⁠^{11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18}
Medicare’s plan of care must be certified by a physician or nonphysician practitioner, and since January 2025 a signed order or referral on file can stand in for that signature on an initial plan delivered within 30 days of the evaluation.⁠¹⁹
Florida’s physical therapy board requires licensees to keep medical records as long as needed to serve and protect patients and themselves, and at least two years after closing or relocating a clinic. The speech-language pathology board sets four years for service records, and Florida Medicaid requires five years from the date of service for its members’ records.⁠^20,21,22
The business entity is registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), and the state’s rules on who may own a therapy entity apply.⁠^23,24
A child under three with a developmental delay is referred to Early Steps, which runs separately from an outpatient clinic’s own intake.⁠^25,26,27

Who licenses OTs, PTs and SLPs in Florida?

Three state boards license the three disciplines in Florida, and each publishes its own licensing law, rules, renewal cycle and continuing-education requirement.⁠^1,6,7 A clinic that employs more than one discipline keeps three registers, not one.

Discipline	Board	Licensing law and rules	Renewal and continuing education	Assistants
Physical therapy	Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice	Florida Statutes chapter 486 (Physical Therapy Practice); Florida Administrative Code, Rule Division 64B17	every two years for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants alike; current licenses expire on November 30, 2027; 24 contact hours per two-year period for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants alike, including 2 hours on preventing medical errors, with no more than 12 from home study	a PTA may not start or change treatment without the PT’s prior assessment and approval; outside a hospital or an acute phase, the PT must be reachable at all times by telecommunication and within the same geographic location as the assistant⁠^{1,28,29,30,31,32,33}
Occupational therapy	Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice	Florida Statutes chapter 468, part III, sections 468.201 to 468.227 (the Occupational Therapy Practice Act); Florida Administrative Code, Rule Division 64B11	every two years for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants alike; current licenses expire on February 28, 2027; 26 hours per two-year period for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants alike, at least 14 of them in person or in live interactive courses and no more than 12 from home study; the 26 hours include 2 on preventing medical errors and 2 on Florida laws and rules, each from a course the board approves	an OTA works under the supervision of a licensed OT, who gives initial direction on the plan of treatment and inspects how it is carried out; the OT need not be on the premises but, except in an emergency, must be available for consultation and direction⁠^{6,34,35,36,37,38,39}
Speech-language pathology	Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology	Florida Statutes chapter 468, part I, sections 468.1105 to 468.1336 (Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology); Florida Administrative Code, Rule Division 64B20	every two years, by December 31 of each odd-numbered year, for the SLP license and the assistant certificate alike; current licenses expire on December 31, 2027; 30 credit hours per two-year period for the SLP license, 20 of them clinically related and 2 on preventing medical errors; 20 clinically related hours for a speech-language pathology assistant	a speech-language pathology assistant holds a certificate and works under the direct supervision of a licensed SLP, who must be in the same facility unless a board-approved protocol applies and who may supervise no more than two full-time or three part-time assistants⁠^{7,40,41,42,43,44,45}

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants answer to the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice.⁠^{1,28,29,30,31,32,33} Occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants answer to the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice.⁠^{6,34,35,36,37,38,39} Speech-language pathologists answer to the Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology.⁠^{7,40,41,42,43,44,45} A license is a state authorization; a national certification (NBCOT for occupational therapy, the ASHA certificate for speech-language pathology, the NPTE for physical therapy) is a different thing and does not replace it. Compact privileges for practitioners licensed elsewhere are covered under telehealth below.

What does a Florida license renewal require?

Each board sets its own cycle and hours, listed in the table above, and the register template at the end of this page tracks them per clinician.⁠^1,6,7 A renewal missed is a lapse, and the board’s own rules say what a lapsed licensee may and may not do; the clinic reads those rules before a clinician’s renewal date passes, not after.

Can a patient see a Florida PT, OT or SLP without a referral?

State law answers this discipline by discipline, and a payer may still require a referral the law does not. For physical therapy, a licensed physical therapist may treat a patient under a plan of treatment the therapist develops, but if treatment is needed beyond 30 days for a condition no practitioner of record has assessed, a practitioner of record must review and sign the plan, and the therapist must refer the patient to or consult with a practitioner of record when the condition is outside the scope of physical therapy.⁠^2,8 For occupational therapy, the Occupational Therapy Practice Act defines the practice and requires a license to practice it, and carries no provision that conditions an evaluation or treatment on a physician’s referral.⁠^46,47 For speech-language pathology, the licensure act defines the practice of speech-language pathology and requires a license, and carries no provision that conditions an evaluation or treatment on a physician’s referral.⁠^48,49 Florida Medicaid’s fee-for-service authorization requests include the ordering provider’s information and a copy of the physician’s order where one applies.⁠⁸

The payer’s rule is separate. Medicare pays for outpatient therapy under a plan of care certified by a physician or nonphysician practitioner, and the regulation’s 2025 text lets a signed order or referral on file, with the plan delivered within 30 days of the initial evaluation, stand in for that signature on an initial plan.⁠¹⁹ Florida Medicaid’s referral and prior-authorization rules are in the next section. A commercial plan’s rule is in its member contract and provider manual, and the clinic keeps a copy of each.

How does Florida Medicaid pay for pediatric and adult therapy?

Florida Medicaid is run by the Agency for Health Care Administration, and a clinic enrolls through its provider enrollment route before it bills.⁠⁵⁰ For children, the federal EPSDT benefit requires the state to cover services that correct or ameliorate a condition found at a screening, whether or not the state plan covers them for adults.⁠⁵¹ For members under 21, Florida Medicaid’s occupational, physical and speech therapy policies each cover one initial evaluation a year, one re-evaluation every five months and up to 14 treatment units a week (no more than four a day), and under EPSDT more may be approved when medically necessary.⁠^3,4,5

Florida Medicaid’s therapy policies cover a service for all ages unless they limit it to recipients under 21, and they list the therapy evaluations, re-evaluations and weekly treatment units under recipients under 21. For recipients of any age they list wheelchair evaluations in physical and occupational therapy and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) evaluations in speech therapy.⁠^9,10 In fee-for-service Florida Medicaid, occupational, physical and speech therapy each need authorization from the quality improvement organization at least every 180 days and whenever a change in the member’s condition changes the services. The request carries the ordering practitioner’s information and a copy of the physician’s order where one applies.⁠^52,53,54,55 Most Florida Medicaid members are enrolled in the Statewide Medicaid Managed Care program, whose plans must follow the therapy coverage policies unless their contract with the agency says otherwise, and may not set stricter coverage limits than those policies.⁠^56,57 The fee schedule is published by the agency, and a clinic reads the current file rather than a remembered rate.⁠⁵⁸

How does Florida Medicaid want OT, PT and SLP claims coded?

Florida Medicaid bills therapy on the professional claim (CMS-1500) in units of at least 15 minutes, up to four a day and 14 a week, under the codes and modifiers on each discipline’s 2026 fee schedule, with modifier HM for a treatment visit by an assistant.⁠^{59,60,61,62,63} The codes, modifiers and authorization forms are the manual’s and change with it, so the clinic reads the current therapy sections before its first claim and records the manual’s page-updated date in the payer register.

Does Florida Medicaid pay for therapy in schools?

The Medicaid Certified School Match Program reimburses school districts for medically necessary services they provide or arrange for Medicaid-eligible students, and a district may instead use community Medicaid providers, who bill Medicaid directly for those students.⁠⁶⁴ A school’s billing is the district’s, under its own program; an outpatient clinic’s claim for the same child is a separate matter with its own eligibility and authorization.

Does Florida Medicaid cover therapy by telehealth?

Florida Medicaid pays for telemedicine delivered over two-way, real-time audio and video, not telephone calls or e-mail, and fee-for-service claims carry modifier GT on the CMS-1500.⁠^65,66 The telehealth section below covers the state’s own rules for the session itself.

What are Florida’s telehealth rules for therapy?

A therapist treating a patient by video needs authority to practice where the patient is located at the time of the session, and the federal telehealth site says so plainly: licensure follows the patient’s location, and a compact privilege is one route to it.⁠¹¹ Florida Statutes section 456.47 lets licensed occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists treat by telehealth, holding them to the same standard of practice as in-person care. A therapist licensed only in another state may treat a patient located in Florida by telehealth after registering with the Florida board, and may not open an office or treat patients in person in Florida. Florida’s insurance code leaves telehealth payment rates to a voluntary contract between the insurer and the provider.⁠^{67,68,69,70,71}

Compact	Florida’s status	Source
PT Compact (physical therapy)	not a member: the commission lists Florida among the ten non-member states (October 30, 2026); the Department of Health says the 2024 law that enacted the compact materially deviates from the model statute and Florida is unable to obtain compact privileges at this time	the PT Compact Commission and the Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance⁠^12,13
OT Compact (occupational therapy)	not listed among the states in the commission’s Before You Apply table, which says states not listed are not members (October 30, 2026)	the OT Compact Commission⁠¹⁴
ASLP Interstate Compact (speech-language pathology and audiology)	member with two appointed delegates on the commission’s roster (an audiologist and a speech-language pathologist); the commission says registration for compact privileges is open only for practitioners licensed in Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee and West Virginia, so Florida is not yet issuing privileges (October 30, 2026)	the ASLP-IC Commission and the Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance⁠^15,16,17,18

A compact privilege is not a national license: it is a privilege to practice in the specific member state that issued it, under that state’s licensing law, and a state that has enacted the compact may not yet be issuing privileges, which is why the table names the commission’s current status.⁠^12,13

Which business steps are specific to Florida?

The entity is registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz), and the choice of entity is shaped by the state’s rule on who may own a therapy business.⁠²³ Florida’s Professional Service Corporation and Limited Liability Company Act covers any personal service that requires a license, so licensed occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists may each form a professional corporation or professional limited liability company whose owners are licensed to render the same professional service.⁠²⁴ State tax registration is with the Florida Department of Revenue, for reemployment tax as an employer.⁠⁷² Florida’s sales tax exempts professional and personal service transactions in which goods are an inconsequential element with no separate charge. The statute’s medical exemptions name medical products and supplies dispensed on an individual prescription, and hearing aids, crutches and prosthetic and orthopedic appliances.⁠^73,74 A Florida private employer outside construction must secure workers’ compensation once it employs four or more employees.⁠^75,76 A city or county business license is a local question, answered by the city hall of the clinic’s address. The startup-costs guide carries the budget worksheet these registrations go into.

What record and privacy rules apply in Florida?

Florida’s physical therapy board requires licensees to keep medical records as long as needed to serve and protect patients and themselves, and at least two years after closing or relocating a clinic. The speech-language pathology board sets four years for service records, and Florida Medicaid requires five years from the date of service for its members’ records.⁠^20,21,22 Two federal periods sit beside it and are often confused with it: Medicare requires 7 years for documentation of orders, certifications, referrals and payment requests, and HIPAA requires 6 years for its own compliance documentation, and neither sets the retention period for the clinical chart.⁠^77,78

Florida Statutes section 456.057 bars a health care practitioner from furnishing a patient’s records to, or discussing the patient’s condition with, anyone other than the patient, the patient’s legal representative or the practitioners involved in the patient’s care, without the patient’s written authorization, except where the section allows.⁠⁷⁹ Florida Statutes section 501.171 requires a business holding personal information, which includes medical history, condition, treatment or diagnosis, to notify each affected individual in Florida no later than 30 days after determining a breach, and the Department of Legal Affairs as well when 500 or more individuals in Florida are affected.⁠^80,81 Florida Statutes section 39.201 requires every person who knows or has reasonable cause to suspect child abuse, abandonment or neglect to report it immediately to the central abuse hotline, and a health care professional who reports must give a name. Section 415.1034 requires a health professional to report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult to the same hotline.⁠^82,83

Which Florida rules shape a pediatric clinic?

Early Steps is Florida’s early intervention program for infants and toddlers from birth to 36 months with developmental delays, disabilities and at-risk conditions. Its services include occupational, physical and speech therapy, and anyone, including a health care provider, may refer a child. Florida Medicaid bills early intervention-related services, such as physical therapy treatments based on the early intervention evaluation, under that service’s own coverage policy and fee schedule, with modifier TL on the claim. The policy says the IFSP should accompany a prior authorization request.⁠^25,26,27 A child who turns three moves from early intervention to the school district’s evaluation, and a private clinic’s services run beside both systems rather than inside them. Florida’s Steven A. Geller Autism Coverage Act requires group health insurance plans to cover speech, occupational and physical therapy and applied behavior analysis for autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome, for individuals under 18 (or older and still in high school if diagnosed by age 8), prescribed by the treating physician under a treatment plan. The statute caps coverage at $36,000 a year and $200,000 a lifetime, adjusted each January 1 for medical inflation, and excludes individual-market and small-employer plans.⁠^84,85 The autism insurance mandates guide covers how such a mandate meets a plan’s own terms.

Which Florida rules shape an adult clinic?

Medicare claims from Florida go to First Coast Service Options, the Medicare Administrative Contractor for Jurisdiction N, Parts A and B (Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), whose local coverage articles for therapy are the ones a Florida clinic reads.⁠^86,87 Florida Medicaid’s adult therapy rules are in the Medicaid section above. The Division of Workers’ Compensation sets reimbursement for health care providers treating injured workers through its Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, 2024 Edition, which its rule incorporates by reference.⁠⁸⁸

Which associations and directory pages serve Florida?

The state chapters are the Florida Physical Therapy Association for physical therapy, the Florida Occupational Therapy Association for occupational therapy and the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists for speech-language pathology.⁠^89,90,91 On DrSensory, families browse Florida clinics by discipline on the occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy pages for the state, which the directory builds from the clinic addresses it holds; a clinic appears on the pages of its own address.⁠⁹²

Which Florida cities have DrSensory city pages?

Beyond its three Florida pages, the directory publishes city pages for 19 Florida cities, 52 pages across the three disciplines, each listing the clinics whose address is in that city; a clinic appears on the city page of its address without any action of its own, and a city or discipline without a page is reached through the state page.⁠⁹²

City	Occupational therapy	Physical therapy	Speech therapy
Boca Raton	occupational therapy in Boca Raton	physical therapy in Boca Raton	speech therapy in Boca Raton
Boynton Beach	occupational therapy in Boynton Beach	physical therapy in Boynton Beach	speech therapy in Boynton Beach
Cape Coral	occupational therapy in Cape Coral	physical therapy in Cape Coral	speech therapy in Cape Coral
Davie	occupational therapy in Davie	physical therapy in Davie	speech therapy in Davie
Fort Lauderdale	occupational therapy in Fort Lauderdale	physical therapy in Fort Lauderdale	speech therapy in Fort Lauderdale
Fort Myers	occupational therapy in Fort Myers	physical therapy in Fort Myers	speech therapy in Fort Myers
Hialeah	occupational therapy in Hialeah	physical therapy in Hialeah	speech therapy in Hialeah
Hollywood	occupational therapy in Hollywood	physical therapy in Hollywood	state page
Homestead	state page	state page	speech therapy in Homestead
Jacksonville	occupational therapy in Jacksonville	physical therapy in Jacksonville	speech therapy in Jacksonville
Melbourne	state page	state page	speech therapy in Melbourne
Miami	occupational therapy in Miami	physical therapy in Miami	speech therapy in Miami
Orlando	occupational therapy in Orlando	physical therapy in Orlando	speech therapy in Orlando
Pembroke Pines	occupational therapy in Pembroke Pines	physical therapy in Pembroke Pines	speech therapy in Pembroke Pines
Port St. Lucie	occupational therapy in Port St. Lucie	physical therapy in Port St. Lucie	speech therapy in Port St. Lucie
St. Petersburg	occupational therapy in St. Petersburg	physical therapy in St. Petersburg	speech therapy in St. Petersburg
Tallahassee	occupational therapy in Tallahassee	physical therapy in Tallahassee	speech therapy in Tallahassee
Tampa	occupational therapy in Tampa	physical therapy in Tampa	speech therapy in Tampa
West Palm Beach	occupational therapy in West Palm Beach	physical therapy in West Palm Beach	speech therapy in West Palm Beach

How many Florida PT, OT and SLP clinics does DrSensory list?

DrSensory lists 339 PT, OT and SLP clinics in Florida, on its occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy pages for the state.⁠⁹²

Is your clinic one of the 339?

An unclaimed listing shows what public records hold: the name, address, phone and therapy. A claimed listing carries the Claimed and verified badge and the clinic’s own name, address, phone, hours, website, therapies, ages served and insurance accepted, corrected in the clinic’s own editor.

Claiming starts with finding the listing and confirming the clinic’s email with a six-digit code. Claiming is free. Nothing is charged. The subscription, the one paid tier, adds a description, photos, clinicians, reviews and family messages, at $349.99 a year or $29.99 a month for the first location.

Claim your listing See the pricing

Where does each requirement come from, and what does the clinic do?

Requirement	Where it comes from	What the clinic does	Source
A license for each clinician	Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice, Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice, Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology	Verify every license on the board’s site and enter its renewal date in the register	^{1,6,7,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45}
Referral or direct access	The licensing law for each discipline	Set the intake rule per discipline; keep the payer’s rule beside it	^{2,8,46,47,48,49}
Medicaid enrollment and coverage	the Agency for Health Care Administration	Enroll, read the provider manual’s therapy sections, note who issues authorizations	^3,4,5,50
Medicare plan of care	42 CFR 424.24	Certify every plan, or hold the signed order or referral on file with the plan delivered within 30 days	¹⁹
Telehealth across a state line	The patient’s state and the compacts	Confirm the patient’s location each session; hold a license or a privilege there	^11,12,13
The business entity	the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz)	Choose the entity the state’s law allows and register it	^23,24
Record retention	State law, Medicare and HIPAA	Keep the longest period that applies	^20,21,22,77

Which templates does a Florida launch need?

Florida launch checklist. Each line names its source so the clinic can re-read the rule when it changes.

Physical therapy licenses verified with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice; renewal dates and continuing-education hours entered in the register
Occupational therapy licenses verified with the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice; the same
Speech-language pathology licenses verified with the Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology; the same
The intake rule for referrals set per discipline from the licensing law, with the payer’s rule beside it
Florida Medicaid enrollment filed; the provider manual’s therapy sections and who issues authorizations noted
Medicare enrollment and the plan-of-care routine in place
Telehealth: the patient-location check at every session; licenses or compact privileges for every state served
The entity registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz); the ownership rule read
The state’s sales-tax rule on services and on goods sold to patients read; a seller’s permit where the clinic sells goods
Record retention set to the longest period that applies
The early-intervention and school pathways known to intake, with the referral routes
The Medicare contractor’s therapy articles bookmarked
The state association memberships decided

License and renewal register. One line per clinician.

Clinician: [their name]
Discipline and board: [physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech-language pathology; the board]
License number: [as the board lists it]
Renewal date: [the date]
Continuing-education hours due and completed: [hours due by the board’s rule; hours completed to date]
Compact privileges held: [the states and the privilege numbers, if any]
Checked on the board’s site: [the date and by whom]

Payer register. One line per payer the clinic bills.

Payer: [Florida Medicaid, a managed care plan, Medicare through First Coast Service Options, a commercial plan]
Enrollment or contract status and effective date: [the status; the date]
Referral rule: [what the payer requires]
Authorization rule and who issues it: [what needs authorization; who issues it]
Telehealth rule: [covered services and modifiers]
Fee schedule location and date read: [where; when]
Owner: [who keeps this line current]

How might two Florida clinics plan a launch?

A pediatric occupational therapy clinic in Jacksonville. Hypothetical; a planning exercise, not a claim about demand in Jacksonville.

Licensing: the owner and one occupational therapy assistant are verified with the Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice; the assistant’s supervision rule from the board goes into the staffing plan.
Referrals: the licensing law’s rule for occupational therapy sets the intake script; Florida Medicaid’s referral and authorization rules sit beside it, since most of the first families are enrolled through a managed care plan.
Medicaid: enrollment is filed before the first family is scheduled, and the program’s authorization rule for children, quoted above, is written into the scheduling routine.
Early intervention: families with children under three are told how the referral to Early Steps works and that the clinic’s services run beside it.
Records: the chart policy is set on day one at or above the longest retention period that applies.

An adult physical therapy clinic in Miami. Hypothetical; a planning exercise, not a claim about demand in Miami.

Licensing: two physical therapists verified with the Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice; one also holds a license in another state, which the telehealth policy records.
Referrals: the licensing law’s direct-access rule sets the intake script; Medicare’s plan-of-care routine is written before the first Medicare patient, with the signed order or referral held on file where the referring practitioner sends one.
Medicare: enrollment through First Coast Service Options; the contractor’s therapy articles are read for the codes the clinic bills.
Telehealth: the patient-location check is part of every video session’s note; a patient who travels out of state is seen only where the clinic holds authority.
Business: the entity is registered with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) in the form the state’s law allows, and the local business license is filed with the city.

Frequently asked questions

Can I practice in Florida on a compact privilege from another state?

Only as the compact’s commission states for Florida: the table above gives each compact’s status, and a privilege is issued for a specific member state under that state’s licensing law, not as a national license.⁠^{12,13,14,15,16,17,18}

Does Florida Medicaid cover therapy for adults?

Within its own rules: the provider manual sets what is covered for adults, with the limits and authorization requirements quoted in the Medicaid section, while children’s coverage runs under EPSDT.⁠^9,10,51

Do patients in Florida need a referral before therapy?

The licensing law answers per discipline and the referral section quotes each rule; a payer may still require a referral or a certified plan of care the law does not, so the intake script carries both rules.⁠^2,8,19

Can I treat a Florida patient by telehealth from another state?

Only with authority to practice in Florida, since licensure follows the patient’s location; a compact privilege is one route where the compact is live for the state.⁠^11,12,13

How long must a Florida clinic keep therapy records?

The physical therapy board’s rule requires records kept as long as needed to serve and protect patients, and at least two years after a clinic closes or relocates. The speech-language pathology board’s rule sets four years. Florida Medicaid requires five years from the date of service for its members’ records.⁠^20,21,22 Medicare’s 7-year and HIPAA’s 6-year rules cover other documents and do not shorten it.⁠^77,78

Which entity can a Florida therapy clinic form?

A professional corporation or professional limited liability company under Florida’s Professional Service Corporation and Limited Liability Company Act (chapter 621), owned only by people licensed to render the same professional service.⁠²⁴ Registration with the Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) follows the choice.⁠²³

How is a young child referred to early intervention in Florida?

Through Early Steps, the Florida Department of Health’s program for infants and toddlers from birth to 36 months; anyone, including a health care provider or a parent, may refer a child.⁠^25,26,27

Where do families find Florida therapy clinics on DrSensory?

On the state’s occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech therapy pages and on the city pages listed above, built from the clinic addresses the directory holds; a clinic’s listing appears on the pages of its own address, and a paid listing adds the clinic’s own description, hours and specialties.⁠^92,93

Sources

Florida. Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 486.021(11)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A physical therapist may implement a plan of treatment developed by the physical therapist for a patient or provided for a patient by a practitioner of record or by an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under s. 464.012. The physical therapist shall refer the patient to or consult with a practitioner of record if the patient’s condition is found to be outside the scope of physical therapy. If physical therapy treatment for a patient is required beyond 30 days for a condition not previously assessed by a practitioner of record, the physical therapist shall have a practitioner of record review and sign the plan. The requirement that a physical therapist have a practitioner of record review and sign a plan of treatment does not apply when a patient has been physically examined by a physician licensed in another state, the patient has been diagnosed by the physician as having a condition for which physical therapy is required, and the physical therapist is treating the condition. For purposes of this paragraph, a health care practitioner licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460, chapter 461, or chapter 466 and engaged in active practice is eligible to serve as a practitioner of record.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.320. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Services for recipients under the age of 21 years: One initial therapy evaluation per year, per recipient One therapy re-evaluation every five months, per recipient Up to 14 therapy treatment units per week (Sunday-Saturday), per recipient (maximum of 4 units per day) ... As such, services for recipients under the age of 21 years exceeding the coverage described within this policy or the associated fee schedule may be approved, if medically necessary.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Occupational Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.318. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Services for recipients under the age of 21 years: One initial therapy evaluation per year, per recipient One therapy re-evaluation every five months, per recipient Up to 14 therapy treatment units per week (Sunday-Saturday), per recipient (maximum of four units per day)”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Speech-Language Pathology Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.324. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“For recipients under the age of 21 years: One initial speech-language pathology evaluation per year, per recipient One speech-language re-evaluation every five months, per recipient Up to 14 therapy treatment units per week (Sunday-Saturday), per recipient (maximum of four units per day)”
Florida. Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida. Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Authorization Requirements Policy (June 2016), Rule 59G-1.053, section 2.4. “Ordering provider information, including the practitioner’s NPI ... A copy of the physician’s order, if applicable ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.320. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“If a service is limited to recipients under the age of 21 years, it is specified in section 4.0. Otherwise, the service is covered for recipients of all ages. ... Florida Medicaid covers the following in accordance with the applicable fee schedule(s), or as specified in this policy: Wheelchair evaluations: One initial wheelchair evaluation every five years, per recipient ...”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Speech-Language Pathology Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.324. “Florida Medicaid covers the following in accordance with the applicable fee schedule(s), or as specified in this policy: One initial AAC evaluation every five years, per recipient For recipients under the age of 21 years ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Getting started with licensure (Telehealth.HHS.gov, last updated February 21, 2024). Checked October 26, 2026.
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“Health professionals must meet the licensure requirements of the state where they are located and be licensed or legally permitted to practice in the state where the patient is located”. Its companion page, Licensing across state lines (last updated April 30, 2025): “The ability to deliver health care services across state lines varies based on state regulations”; “Prior to an appointment, providers should verify patient location and obtain consent”; “Compacts allow participating health care providers to practice in participating states”.
PT Compact Commission. PT Compact Map. “Non-Members (10) California Florida Hawaii ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance. Compact - FL HealthSource. “While certain provisions in Senate Bill 7016 (2024) materially deviate from the model PT Compact statute and Florida is unable to obtain compact privileges at this time, Florida remains committed to aligning with the PT Compact’s standards ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Occupational Therapy Compact Commission. Before You Apply for an OT Compact Privilege. “States not listed below are not a member of the Occupational Therapy Compact.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact Commission. Delegate Information. “Member State Appointed Delegates ... Florida Audiology Fredrick Rahe Florida SLP Dania Lopez Ramirez ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact Commission. ASLP-IC Home. “Registration for compact privileges to practice is open for licensed practitioners in Louisiana, Ohio, Tennessee, and West Virginia. As more member states launch, the ASLP-IC Home Page and Compact Map will be updated.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Department of Health, Division of Medical Quality Assurance. Compact - FL HealthSource. “Florida joined the ASLP-IC as the 30th member state upon the passage of Senate Bill 7016 during the 2024 legislative session.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 468.1335. “The Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology Interstate Compact is hereby enacted into law and entered into by this state with all other states legally joining therein ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Code of Federal Regulations. 42 CFR 424.24, Requirements for medical and other health services furnished by providers under Medicare Part B (eCFR, up to date as of October 22, 2026; paragraph (c), outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology services). Checked October 26, 2026.
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“The individual needs, or needed, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology services.”; “The services were furnished while the individual was under the care of a physician, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant.”; “The initial certification must be obtained as soon as possible after the plan is established.”; “Recertification is required at least every 90 days.”; “When it is recertified, the plan or other documentation in the patient’s record must indicate the continuing need for physical therapy, occupational therapy or speech-language pathology services.”; “the therapist has documented evidence that the plan of treatment has been delivered to the physician, NP, PA, or CNS within 30 days of completion of the initial evaluation, the certification does not need to be signed by a physician, NP, CNS, or PA who has knowledge of the case.”; “No references to an order or referral in this subsection shall be construed to require an order or referral for outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language pathology services.”.
Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B17-6.0042, Medical Records of Deceased, Relocating, or Terminating Practice Physical Therapists or Physical Therapist Assistants. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Licensees shall retain medical records as long as needed not only to serve and protect clients/patients, but also to protect themselves against adverse actions. ... Each such licensee shall ensure that client/patient records are maintained and may be obtained by the client/patient for a minimum of two (2) years after the termination or relocation of practice.”
Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B20-9.006, Recordkeeping and Retention. “Each licensee who provides speech-language pathology services, as set forth in Section 468.1125(7), F.S., to individuals or groups, shall create and maintain, for a period of four (4) years, records and documentation of ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Rule 59G-1.054, Recordkeeping and Documentation Requirements. “Providers must retain all records related to services rendered to Florida Medicaid recipients for a period of at least five years from the date of service.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Department of State. Division of Corporations. Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, sections 621.03(1), 621.05 and 621.051 (Professional Service Corporation and Limited Liability Company Act). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“The term “professional service” means any type of personal service to the public which requires as a condition precedent to the rendering of such service the obtaining of a license or other legal authorization. ... One or more individuals, professional corporations, or professional limited liability companies, in any combination, duly licensed or otherwise legally authorized to render the same professional services may organize and become a shareholder or shareholders of a professional corporation for pecuniary profit under the provisions of chapter 607 for the sole and specific purpose of rendering the same and specific professional service. ... A group of professional service corporations, professional limited liability companies, or individuals, in any combination, duly licensed or otherwise legally authorized to render the same professional services may organize and become members of a professional limited liability company for pecuniary profit under the provisions of chapter 605 for the sole and specific purpose of rendering the same and specific professional service.”
Florida Department of Health, Early Steps Program. About Early Steps - FDOH Early Steps. “Florida’s Early Steps Program provides early intervention services to eligible infants and toddlers, from birth to 36-months, with developmental delays, disabilities and at-risk conditions. ... Occupational, Physical and Speech Therapies ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Department of Health, Early Steps Program. Make a Referral - FDOH Early Steps. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Anyone can refer a child (0-36 months old) to Florida’s Early Steps program, including health care providers, parents and caregivers, family members, friends and others. There is no income requirement to qualify for the program. Early Steps pays for services not covered by public or private insurance. Private insurance is only billed with parent authorization.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Early Intervention Services Coverage Policy (October 2023), Rule 59G-4.085. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“if a physical therapist is included in the multidisciplinary team, physical therapy treatments based on the EIS evaluation must be billed under the physical therapy services coverage policy and associated fee schedule). Medicaid providers who bill for early intervention-related services must append the TL modifier to the claim and should submit the IFSP as supporting documentation for prior authorization (PA) review requests.”
Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Physical Therapist Renewal - Florida Board of Physical Therapy. “Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on November 30, 2027.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, sections 486.085(2) and 486.108(2). “The department shall adopt rules establishing a procedure for the biennial renewal of licenses.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Physical Therapist Renewal - Florida Board of Physical Therapy. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Twenty-four (24) contact hours of continuing education (CE/CEU*) must be completed within the current biennium for which the license is being renewed. ... No more than 12 hours may come from home study courses. All licensees must complete 2 hours on the Prevention of Medical Errors for each licensure renewal cycle.”
Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Physical Therapist Assistant Renewal - Florida Board of Physical Therapy. “Twenty-four (24) contact hours of continuing education (CE/CEU*) must be completed within the current biennium for which the license is being renewed.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Board of Physical Therapy Practice. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B17-6.001, Minimum Standards of Physical Therapy Practice, subsections (4)(a) and (5)(c). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Physical therapist assistants shall: (a) Not initiate or change treatment without the prior assessment and approval of the physical therapist. ... During the delivery of physical therapy care by the physical therapist assistant to patients who are not inpatients in a hospital, or who are not in the acute phase of injury or illness, the physical therapist shall be accessible at all times by telecommunication and shall be within the same geographic location as the assistant.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 486.021(6). Checked October 30, 2026.
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““Physical therapist assistant” means a person who is licensed in accordance with the provisions of this chapter to perform patient-related activities, including the use of physical agents, whose license is in good standing, and whose activities are performed under the direction of a physical therapist as set forth in rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.”
Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Occupational Therapist - Florida Board of Occupational Therapy. “Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on February 28, 2027.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Occupational Therapy Assistant - Florida Board of Occupational Therapy. “Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on February 28, 2027.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 468.219(1). “Licenses issued under this part are subject to biennial renewal as provided in s. 456.004.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B11-5.001, Requirements for License Renewal of an Active License; Continuing Education. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“(1) As a condition to the renewal of an active license, an occupational therapist must complete twenty-six (26) hours of approved continuing education per biennium. (2) As a condition to the renewal of an active license, an occupational therapy assistant must complete twenty-six (26) hours of approved continuing education per biennium. (3) At least fourteen (14) of the required hours per biennium must be in person or from interactive, real-time courses. ... A licensee may receive continuing education credit for no more than twelve (12) hours of home study education per biennium.”
Florida Board of Occupational Therapy Practice. Occupational Therapist - Florida Board of Occupational Therapy. “2 hours in Prevention of Medical Errors (must be a Florida OT Board approved course) and 2 hours in Florida Laws and Rules (must be a Florida OT Board approved course).” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 468.203(8) and (10). Checked October 30, 2026.
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““Occupational therapy assistant” means a person licensed to assist in the practice of occupational therapy, who works under the supervision of an occupational therapist, and whose license is in good standing. ... “Supervision” means responsible supervision and control, with the licensed occupational therapist providing both initial direction in developing a plan of treatment and periodic inspection of the actual implementation of the plan. Such plan of treatment shall not be altered by the supervised individual without prior consultation with, and the approval of, the supervising occupational therapist. The supervising occupational therapist need not always be physically present or on the premises when the assistant is performing services; however, except in cases of emergency, supervision shall require the availability of the supervising occupational therapist for consultation with and direction of the supervised individual.”
Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Speech-Language Pathologist - Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology. “Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on December 31, 2027. ... Licenses are renewable by December 31st of each odd year.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Speech-Language Pathology Assistant - Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology & Audiology. “Current licenses expire at midnight, Eastern Time, on December 31, 2027.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 468.1195(2). “The department shall adopt rules establishing a procedure for the biennial renewal of licenses and certificates.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B20-6.001, Continuing Education as a Condition for Renewal or Reactivation. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“As a condition of the biennial renewal of an active status license, the licensee shall attend and certify attending 30 credit hours, per biennium, of Board approved continuing education, twenty (20) of which shall be clinically related as defined in subsection 64B20-6.002(2), F.A.C., and two (2) of which shall be proof of completion of a course relating to prevention of medical errors ... As a condition of the biennial renewal of an active status assistant certificate, the assistant shall attend and certify attending twenty (20) credit hours, per biennium, of Board approved, clinically related continuing education.”
Florida Board of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology. Florida Administrative Code Rule 64B20-4.004, Supervision of Speech-Language Pathology Assistants and Audiology Assistants. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“(1) A licensee shall supervise and be responsible for all client services provided by an assistant. ... (3) Assistants must be under the direct supervision of a licensee who has met all the requirements of Section 468.1185, F.S. Direct supervision requires the physical presence of the licensee in the same facility when the assistant is carrying out assigned responsibilities, unless acting pursuant to Board of Speech Language Pathology and Audiology approved protocols ... (4) The maximum number of assistants supervised by one licensee shall not exceed two (2) full-time or three (3) part-time assistants.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 468.1125(4). ““Certified speech-language pathology assistant” means a person who is certified under this part to perform speech pathology services under the direct supervision of a speech pathologist.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, sections 468.203(6) and 468.223(1)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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““Occupational therapy” means the therapeutic use of occupations through habilitation, rehabilitation, and the promotion of health and wellness with individuals, groups, or populations, along with their families or organizations, to support participation, performance, and function in the home, at school, in the workplace, in the community, and in other settings for clients who have, or who have been identified as being at risk of developing, an illness, an injury, a disease, a disorder, a condition, an impairment, a disability, an activity limitation, or a participation restriction. ... A person may not: (a) Practice occupational therapy unless such person is licensed pursuant to ss. 468.201-468.225 ...”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Authorization Requirements Policy (June 2016), Rule 59G-1.053, section 2.4. “Ordering provider information, including the practitioner’s NPI ... A copy of the physician’s order, if applicable ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, sections 468.1125(7)(a) and 468.1285(1)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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““Practice of speech-language pathology” means the application of principles, methods, and procedures for the prevention, identification, evaluation, treatment, consultation, habilitation, rehabilitation, instruction, and research, relative to the development and disorders of human communication; to related oral and pharyngeal competencies; and to behavior related to disorders of human communication. ... No person shall knowingly: (a) Practice speech-language pathology or audiology, unless the person is licensed pursuant to this part.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Authorization Requirements Policy (June 2016), Rule 59G-1.053, section 2.4. “Ordering provider information, including the practitioner’s NPI ... A copy of the physician’s order, if applicable ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Enrollment | Florida Medicaid Web Portal. Checked October 30, 2026.
Medicaid.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (Medicaid benefit page). Checked October 26, 2026.
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“The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit provides comprehensive and preventive health care services for children under age 21 who are enrolled in Medicaid.”; “It is the responsibility of states to determine medical necessity on a case-by-case basis.”.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.320. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“The authorization information described below is applicable to the fee-for-service delivery system. ... Providers must obtain authorization from the quality improvement organization at least every 180 days, or upon a change in the recipient’s condition requiring an alteration in services.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Occupational Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.318. “Providers must obtain authorization from the quality improvement organization at least every 180 days, or upon a change in the recipient’s condition requiring an alteration in services.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Speech-Language Pathology Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.324. “Providers must obtain authorization from the quality improvement organization at least every 180 days, or upon a change in the recipient’s condition requiring an alteration in services.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Authorization Requirements Policy (June 2016), Rule 59G-1.053. “Ordering provider information, including the practitioner’s NPI ... A copy of the physician’s order, if applicable A copy of the recipient’s current plan of care (if applicable), signed by the physician ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Statewide Medicaid Managed Care. “Most Florida Medicaid recipients are enrolled in the SMMC Program. The SMMC program has three components, the Long-Term Care (LTC) program, the Managed Medical Assistance (MMA) program, and the Dental Program.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.320. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Florida Medicaid managed care plans must comply with the service coverage requirements outlined in this policy, unless otherwise specified in the AHCA contract with the Florida Medicaid managed care plan. The provision of services to recipients enrolled in a Florida Medicaid managed care plan must not be subject to more stringent service coverage limits than specified in Florida Medicaid policies.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Rule 59G-4.002 Provider Reimbursement Schedules and Billing Codes. Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.320. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“1.3.8 Unit of Service A minimum of 15 minutes of therapy treatment between the therapist or therapy assistant and the recipient. ... Up to 14 therapy treatment units per week (Sunday-Saturday), per recipient (maximum of 4 units per day) ... 8.2 Claim Type Professional (837P/CMS-1500) 8.3 Billing Code, Modifier, and Billing Unit Providers must report the most current and appropriate billing code(s), modifier(s), and billing unit(s) for the service rendered, as incorporated by reference in Rule 59G-4.002, F.A.C.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Fee Schedule 2026. “97110 GP Physical Therapy Treatment Visit, Provided by a Physical Therapist ... 4 per day, 14 per week 97110 HM Physical Therapy Treatment Visit Provided by a Physical Therapist Assistant ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Occupational Therapy Fee Schedule 2026. “97530 GO Occupational Therapy Treatment Visit Provided by an Occupational Therapist ... 4 per day, 14 per week 97530 HM Occupational Therapy Treatment Visit Provided by an Occupational Therapy Assistant ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Speech-Language Pathology Fee Schedule 2026. “92507 Speech Therapy Visit ... 4 per day, 14 per week ... 92507 HM Speech Therapy Visit Provided by a Speech Therapy Assistant ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Physical Therapy Services Coverage Policy (October 2016), Rule 59G-4.320. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Florida Medicaid does not cover the following as part of this service benefit: Developing and updating the plan of care (POC) Mileage and travel expenses ... Time spent supervising assistants and students Treatment visits provided on the same day as an evaluation service ...”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Certified School Match Program Coverage and Limitations Handbook (January 2005). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“The purpose of the Medicaid certified school match program is to provide reimbursement for medically necessary services provided by or arranged by a school district for Medicaid-eligible students. ... The school district may use Medicaid providers in the community to serve Medicaid-eligible students. The community provider bills Medicaid directly for the Medicaid-eligible students’ care, and the school district finances the non-Medicaid students’ care.”
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Rule 59G-1.057, Telemedicine. “Florida Medicaid reimburses for telemedicine services using interactive telecommunications equipment that includes, at a minimum audio and video equipment permitting two-way, real time, interactive communication between a recipient and a practitioner. ... Providers must include modifier GT on the CMS-1500 claim form ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. Florida Medicaid Rule 59G-1.057, Telemedicine. “Florida Medicaid does not reimburse for: (a) Telephone conversations, chart review(s), electronic mail messages, or facsimile transmissions.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 456.47(2)(a) and (d). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A telehealth provider has the duty to practice in a manner consistent with his or her scope of practice and the prevailing professional standard of practice for a health care professional who provides in-person health care services to patients in this state. ... A telehealth provider and a patient may be in separate locations when telehealth is used to provide health care services to a patient.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 456.47(1)(b). Checked October 30, 2026.
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““Telehealth provider” means any individual who provides health care and related services using telehealth and who is licensed or certified under s. 393.17; part III of chapter 401; chapter 457; chapter 458; chapter 459; chapter 460; chapter 461; chapter 463; chapter 464; chapter 465; chapter 466; chapter 467; part I, part III, part IV, part V, part X, part XIII, or part XIV of chapter 468; chapter 478; chapter 480; part I, part II, or part III of chapter 483; chapter 484; chapter 486 ...”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 456.47(4)(a) and (f). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A health care professional not licensed in this state may provide health care services to a patient located in this state using telehealth if the health care professional registers with the applicable board, or the department if there is no board, and provides health care services within the applicable scope of practice established by Florida law or rule. ... A health care professional registered under this subsection may not open an office in this state and may not provide in-person health care services to patients located in this state.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 456.47(3). “A telehealth provider shall document in the patient’s medical record the health care services rendered using telehealth according to the same standard as used for in-person services.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 627.42396. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A contract between a health insurer issuing major medical comprehensive coverage through an individual or group policy and a telehealth provider, as defined in s. 456.47, must be voluntary between the insurer and the provider and must establish mutually acceptable payment rates or payment methodologies for services provided through telehealth.”
Florida Department of Revenue. Florida Reemployment Tax. Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 212.08(7)(v). “Professional services. — 1. Also exempted are professional, insurance, or personal service transactions that involve sales as inconsequential elements for which no separate charges are made.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 212.08(2)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“There shall be exempt from the tax imposed by this chapter any medical products and supplies or medicine dispensed according to an individual prescription or prescriptions written by a prescriber authorized by law to prescribe medicinal drugs; ... There shall also be exempt from the tax imposed by this chapter artificial eyes and limbs; orthopedic shoes; prescription eyeglasses and items incidental thereto or which become a part thereof; dentures; hearing aids; crutches; prosthetic and orthopedic appliances; and funerals.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 440.02(20)(b)2. “All private employments in which four or more employees are employed by the same employer or, with respect to the construction industry, all private employment in which one or more employees are employed by the same employer.” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 440.10(1)(a). “Every employer coming within the provisions of this chapter shall be liable for, and shall secure, the payment to his or her employees ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
Code of Federal Regulations. 42 CFR 424.516, Additional provider and supplier requirements for enrolling and maintaining active enrollment status in the Medicare program (eCFR, up to date as of October 22, 2026; paragraph (f), Maintaining and providing access to documentation). Checked October 26, 2026.
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“A provider or a supplier that furnishes covered ordered, certified, referred, or prescribed Part A or B services, items or drugs is required to—”; “Maintain documentation (as described in paragraph (f)(1)(ii) of this section) for 7 years from the date of service; and”; “Upon the request of CMS or a Medicare contractor, to provide access to that documentation”; “The documentation includes written and electronic documents (including the NPI of the physician or, when permitted, other eligible professional who ordered, certified, referred, or prescribed the Part A or B service, item, or drug) relating to written orders, certifications, referrals, prescriptions, and requests for payments for Part A or B services, items or drugs.”.
Code of Federal Regulations. 45 CFR 164.316, Policies and procedures and documentation requirements (eCFR, up to date as of October 22, 2026; HIPAA Security Rule; paragraph (b)). Checked October 26, 2026.
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“Maintain the policies and procedures implemented to comply with this subpart in written (which may be electronic) form; and”; “If an action, activity or assessment is required by this subpart to be documented, maintain a written (which may be electronic) record of the action, activity, or assessment.”; “Retain the documentation required by paragraph (b)(1) of this section for 6 years from the date of its creation or the date when it last was in effect, whichever is later.”.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 456.057(7)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Except as otherwise provided in this section and in s. 440.13(4)(c), such records may not be furnished to, and the medical condition of a patient may not be discussed with, any person other than the patient, the patient’s legal representative, or other health care practitioners and providers involved in the patient’s care or treatment, except upon written authorization from the patient.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 501.171(3)(a) and (4)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A covered entity shall provide notice to the department of any breach of security affecting 500 or more individuals in this state. ... A covered entity shall give notice to each individual in this state whose personal information was, or the covered entity reasonably believes to have been, accessed as a result of the breach. Notice to individuals shall be made as expeditiously as practicable and without unreasonable delay, taking into account the time necessary to allow the covered entity to determine the scope of the breach of security, to identify individuals affected by the breach, and to restore the reasonable integrity of the data system that was breached, but no later than 30 days after the determination of a breach or reason to believe a breach occurred ...”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 501.171(1)(e) and (1)(g)1.a(IV). ““Department” means the Department of Legal Affairs. ... Any information regarding an individual’s medical history, mental or physical condition, or medical treatment or diagnosis by a health care professional ...” Checked October 30, 2026.
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 39.201(1)(a)1 and (b)2. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A person is required to report immediately to the central abuse hotline established in s. 39.101, in writing, through a call to the toll-free telephone number, or through electronic reporting, if he or she knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that any of the following has occurred: ... A person making a report to the central abuse hotline whose occupation is in any of the following categories is required to provide his or her name to the central abuse hotline counselors: ... Health care professional or mental health professional other than a person listed in sub-subparagraph a. ...”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 415.1034(1)(a). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“Any person, including, but not limited to, any: ... Health professional or mental health professional other than one listed in subparagraph 1.; ... who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a vulnerable adult has been or is being abused, neglected, or exploited must immediately report such knowledge or suspicion to the central abuse hotline.”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 627.6686 (Steven A. Geller Autism Coverage Act). Checked October 30, 2026.
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“A health insurance plan issued or renewed on or after April 1, 2009, shall provide coverage to an eligible individual for: (a) Well-baby and well-child screening for diagnosing the presence of autism spectrum disorder. (b) Treatment of autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome through speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and applied behavior analysis. ... Coverage shall be limited to treatment that is prescribed by the insured’s treating physician in accordance with a treatment plan. (b) Coverage for the services described in subsection (3) shall be limited to $36,000 annually and may not exceed $200,000 in total lifetime benefits. ... The maximum benefit under paragraph (4)(b) shall be adjusted annually on January 1 of each calendar year ...”
The Florida Legislature (Online Sunshine). The 2026 Florida Statutes, section 627.6686(2)(c) and (d). Checked October 30, 2026.
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““Eligible individual” means an individual under 18 years of age or an individual 18 years of age or older who is in high school who has been diagnosed as having a developmental disability at 8 years of age or younger. ... The term does not include any health insurance plan offered in the individual market, any health insurance plan that is individually underwritten, or any health insurance plan provided to a small employer.”
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs). “N Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands First Coast Service Options, Inc.” Checked October 30, 2026.
First Coast Service Options. About Us | FCSO Medicare. “First Coast is the MAC for Florida, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and its services include claims processing, customer service, provider audit and reimbursement, provider enrollment, and the provision of provider education and resources.” Checked October 30, 2026.
Florida Department of Financial Services, Division of Workers’ Compensation. Florida Administrative Code Rule 69L-7.020, Florida Workers’ Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual. Checked October 30, 2026.
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“The Florida Workers’ Compensation Health Care Provider Reimbursement Manual, 2024 Edition (HCP RM), is incorporated by reference as part of this rule. The HCP RM establishes reimbursement policies, guidelines, and procedures for services provided by health care providers.”
the Florida Physical Therapy Association. the Florida Physical Therapy Association (the state association's site). Checked October 30, 2026.
the Florida Occupational Therapy Association. the Florida Occupational Therapy Association (the state association's site). Checked October 30, 2026.
the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. the Florida Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists (the state association's site). Checked October 30, 2026.
DrSensory. Occupational therapy clinics in Florida, with the physical therapy and speech therapy pages for the state (the directory's state pages, built from the addresses it holds). Checked October 30, 2026.
DrSensory. Clinic Directory Pricing. “Claiming your listing is free. The subscription is $349.99 a year or $29.99 a month for your first location, and $99.99 a year or $9.99 a month for each additional location, not per therapist.” Checked October 30, 2026.

Medical disclaimer. This page is for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is general guidance on running a therapy clinic in Florida, not legal, compliance, billing or financial advice. Rules change; the clinic confirms each with its source before acting on it.

Florida therapy practice guide: PT, OT and SLP