Key Takeaways

  • Medicare provides coverage for all medically necessary physical therapy services with no limit on the number of sessions you can attend.
  • There is a monetary limit, though. In 2025, Medicare can cover up to $2,410 of physical therapy services, after which a doctor must confirm and document that further physical therapy is still necessary.
  • After spending hits $3,000, continued physical therapy care becomes subject to a medical review process.

Medicare provides coverage for all medically necessary physical therapy services. It doesn’t limit the number of sessions you can attend.

When you receive physical therapy in an outpatient setting, Medicare Part B covers it. Medicare Part A covers physical therapy when you receive it in the following circumstances:

  • during an inpatient hospital stay
  • while at a skilled nursing facility
  • as a part of home healthcare

There’s no limit to the number of covered visits.

To receive Medicare coverage for physical therapy, you need a referral from a healthcare professional and a certified treatment regimen.

Before 2018, Medicare set annual spending caps on physical therapy services. The passing of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 changed this.

In 2025, Medicare can cover up to $2,410 of physical therapy services. After reaching this threshold, a doctor must confirm and document that further physical therapy is still necessary and appropriate when submitting claims.

When spending hits $3,000, continued care is subject to a medical review process.

For outpatient physical therapy, you must pay 20% of the Medicare-approved cost after meeting your Part B annual deductible.

In its coverage determinations, Medicare lays out “utilization guidelines” for specific physical therapy services when performed as part of home care. These guidelines suggest how many visits you need for the treatment in question. However, they aren’t concrete limits — merely guidelines.

If a physical therapist exceeds these limits, a doctor typically needs to certify that further treatment is medically necessary:

  • Therapeutic exercise to develop strength and range of motion: 12 to 18 visits within a 4- to 6-week period
  • Aquatic therapy with therapeutic exercises: 6 to 8 visits
  • Passive-only exercise programs: 2 to 4 visits
  • Gait training: 12 to 18 visits within a 4- to 6-week period
  • Massage, including effleurage, petrissage, and/or tapotement: 6 to 8 visits
  • Manual therapy techniques: 12 to 18 visits
  • Supervised mechanical traction: 3 to 4 visits
  • Whirlpool: 6 to 8 visits
  • Neuromuscular stimulation: 12 visits
  • Interferential current/medium current (IFC): 10 to 12 visits