An AI receptionist for physical therapy clinics that books evaluations and plan-of-care visits, handles reschedules, collects referral and insurance details, and fills gaps.
Why calls matter for physical therapy clinics
Physical therapy front desks juggle new patient evaluations, plans of care with two or three visits a week, insurance questions, and constant rescheduling. Every missed call or unfilled cancellation is a visit that does not happen.
An AI receptionist answers every call, books evaluations and follow-up visits by your rules, handles reschedules, collects referral and insurance details, and offers cancelled slots to patients on a waitlist.
Common call types
- New patient evaluations
- Follow-up visits and plan-of-care scheduling
- Reschedules and cancellations
- Insurance and self-pay questions
- Workers' compensation and auto injury cases
- Referral and prescription questions
Relevant automations
- Evaluation and follow-up booking
- Reschedule handling
- Waitlist filling
- Intake form links by text
- Reminders to reduce no-shows
Business outcomes to measure
- Book new patients on the first call
- Keep plans of care on schedule
- Fill cancelled slots
- Free the front desk for patients in the clinic
What a call sounds like
An illustrative example of a typical call. Your receptionist follows your own rules, services, and wording.
- Caller
- I need to start physical therapy for my knee after surgery.
- AI receptionist
- Thanks for calling Motion Physical Therapy, I'm the virtual assistant. I can book your evaluation. Did your surgeon send a referral?
- Caller
- Yes, they said they sent it over.
- AI receptionist
- Great. Which insurance do you have?
- Caller
- It's through my employer, a Blue Cross plan.
- AI receptionist
- Thanks. I have a 60-minute evaluation Tuesday at 8 a.m. or Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Which works better? I'll text you the intake forms to fill out before your visit.
What the AI receptionist asks
- Is this a new patient evaluation or a follow-up visit?
- What area is the problem, and is it from an injury or surgery?
- Do you have a referral or prescription from a provider?
- Which insurance do you have, or will you self-pay?
- Is this a workers' compensation or auto accident case, and is there a claim number?
- Which location and times work best?
- Do you prefer a particular therapist?
Urgent calls go straight to a person
Emergency symptoms such as chest pain or trouble breathing
The receptionist does not give medical advice. It tells the caller to hang up and call 911.
Post-surgical concerns such as new swelling or fever
Routed to your clinical team or the patient's surgeon, following your protocol.
Complaints and billing disputes
Sent to the office manager.
Works with your software
- WebPT
- Jane
- Prompt Health
- Raintree
- Google Calendar
We connect through each vendor's API, webhooks, or a workflow tool. What is possible depends on your plan and the vendor's API access, which we confirm before quoting.
What to get right
- All 50 states and DC allow some form of direct access to physical therapists, but rules vary and many insurers still require referrals. Set referral questions by state and payer.
- HIPAA applies, so every vendor handling patient information needs a business associate agreement.
- The receptionist never gives exercise or medical advice; clinical questions go to clinicians.
- Verify patients before discussing appointments or account details.
Implementation approach
- Define visit types, lengths, and therapist rules.
- Set referral, insurance, and intake requirements.
- Connect your EMR scheduling or calendar, with a BAA in place.
- Launch on overflow and after-hours calls, then expand.
What it costs
Focused automations such as missed-call recovery typically cost $2,000 to $5,000 to build. A production AI receptionist with booking, CRM updates, and call transfers typically costs $5,000 to $15,000, plus monthly usage for calls and texts. Every quote is fixed-scope and in US dollars. See pricing details.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI receptionist book physical therapy evaluations?
Yes. It collects the reason for the visit, referral, and insurance details, then books the right visit type from your schedule.
Can it schedule a full plan of care?
It can book recurring visits by your rules, such as two or three visits a week, and handle changes.
Is it HIPAA compliant?
It can be, when every vendor in the setup signs a business associate agreement and access controls are in place. We build to those requirements.
Does it work with WebPT or Jane?
We connect through the vendor's API or a workflow tool, subject to your plan and the vendor's API access.
Can it fill cancellations?
Yes. It can offer cancelled slots to patients on a waitlist until one is booked.
Sources
General information, not legal advice.
- Direct Access by State (American Physical Therapy Association)
- Business Associates (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)