# Physical Therapy AI Receptionist, Answers 24/7 Source: https://insertchat.com/industries/physical-therapy > Book initial evaluations, answer referral and insurance questions, and route post-op concerns to your therapists. An AI receptionist for physical therapy clinics answers patient calls and texts while your therapists are treating, using your services, hours, referral policy, and the insurance you accept. InsertChat’s assistant books initial evaluations and follow-up visits, tells post-op patients what to bring, and sends new pain, swelling, and clinical questions to a licensed therapist. ## Turn a post-surgery call into a booked initial evaluation Example workflow: Phone call. Illustrative scenario. Answers depend on your sources; actions depend on your connected tools and permissions. This is not a customer testimonial or measured result. A patient calls at 7:40 a.m., while both therapists are with early patients and the front desk isn’t in yet. > I had ACL surgery on Friday and my surgeon says I should start PT this week. Is anything open before Thursday, and what do I bring? ## Check the referral and the plan Ask for the surgeon’s name, the surgery date, and the insurance plan, then answer from your referral and insurance notes. ## Book the initial evaluation Offer evaluation openings before Thursday and book the time the patient picks, at the length you set for first visits. ## Tell the patient what to bring Share your first-visit checklist, such as the surgeon’s protocol, a photo ID, and shorts. The call summary lands with your front desk. ## Your team sets the boundaries Calf pain, new swelling, a fever, or a wound that looks wrong after surgery is flagged for your therapists at once, and anyone describing chest pain or trouble breathing hears your instruction to call 911. ## What it handles for physical therapy clinics Handled by your assistant: - Initial evaluations and follow-up visits booked into open times - Whether a referral is needed, answered from the policy you write - Insurance plans you accept and the self-pay rates you publish - What to bring and wear to a first visit - Moving or canceling visits the assistant booked Sent straight to your team: - New swelling, calf pain, or fever after surgery - A fall or a new injury between visits - Chest pain or trouble breathing, answered with your 911 instruction - Questions about exercises, pain levels, or progress - Authorization, visit-limit, and billing disputes ## What it asks and what it needs to know Details it collects: - Patient name and mobile number - Body area and what brings them in, such as surgery, an injury, or ongoing pain - Surgery date and surgeon, for post-op patients - Referring provider, if they have a referral - Insurance carrier and plan, or self-pay - Preferred clinic, if you run more than one - Days and times that fit around work or school What to add to its knowledge: - Conditions you treat, such as post-op rehab, sports injuries, and pelvic health - Referral policy, including when patients can book without one - Insurance you accept, self-pay rates, and visit packages - First-visit checklist, visit length, and what to wear - Cancellation and no-show policy - Clinic locations, hours, parking, and your 911 instructions ## Can it tell patients whether they need a referral for physical therapy? Yes, from the policy you write. Referral rules differ by state and by insurance plan, so add the version that applies to your clinic and each plan you take. The assistant explains it, asks for the referring provider when there is one, and books the evaluation. Coverage and authorization checks go to your front desk with the plan details already collected. ## What happens when a post-op patient calls with a worrying symptom? Your therapists hear about it right away. The assistant asks what changed, when it started, and the surgery date, then marks the conversation urgent and emails the teammates you chose. It never tells a patient whether a symptom is serious. If the caller describes chest pain, trouble breathing, or another emergency on your list, the assistant reads your instruction to call 911. ## Is a BAA available for physical therapy clinics? Yes, InsertChat can sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) on Enterprise. Diagnoses, surgery dates, and insurance details that patients share can be protected health information, so choose Enterprise and sign the BAA before the assistant collects them. On other plans, keep protected health information out of the assistant, its calendar, and its connected tools. ## How much does an AI receptionist for physical therapy clinics cost? Clinics that handle protected health information with the assistant need Enterprise, from $998 a month, which can sign a BAA and includes 100 AI assistants, enough for one per location. On other plans, from $98 a month, keep protected health information out of the assistant. Calls draw on monthly credits in whole minutes, and each extra phone number is $10 a month. ## Can our front desk answer first and the assistant take the overflow? Yes. Set your clinic line to ring the front desk for 5 to 60 seconds, and the assistant answers whatever isn’t picked up. That covers check-in rushes and the hour before staff arrive. It can also take every call after hours. US and Canadian clinics can forward their current number to InsertChat. ## Can patients reschedule a visit by text? Yes, for visits the assistant booked. Patients text your InsertChat number, the assistant offers new times, and the change shows on your calendar. Each visit can get a text or email reminder 72 and 24 hours before, so patients move a session instead of skipping it. Visits booked another way are changed by your staff. ## Does it connect to our physical therapy EMR? No. InsertChat doesn’t connect to physical therapy EMR or practice management software, so plans of care and notes stay where they are. The assistant books into Google Calendar, Outlook, Calendly, Cal.com, or InsertChat’s built-in calendar. If your schedule lives in your EMR, have it collect requests with the body area, referral, and preferred times for your front desk to enter. ## Related features - [AI receptionist](https://insertchat.com/product/phone) - [Scheduling](https://insertchat.com/product/scheduling) - [AI text messaging](https://insertchat.com/product/sms) ## Broader industry - [Healthcare](https://insertchat.com/industries/healthcare): Answer the phone while your team is with patients.