Glossary
Florida PIP, MedPay & PT Glossary
A working vocabulary for Florida auto-accident physical therapy. Definitions are written for patients and for the physicians and discharge planners who guide them. Each entry is short, accurate, and grounded in current Florida statute or standard practice.
PIPPersonal Injury Protection
- The no-fault auto-insurance coverage every Florida driver is required to carry. Under Florida Statute §627.736, PIP pays up to $10,000 in medical, disability, and death benefits regardless of who caused the crash. Physical therapy is reimbursed against PIP when it is medically necessary and the patient was seen by a qualifying provider within 14 days of the accident.
No-Fault
- Florida is a no-fault state, which means your own auto policy pays your initial medical bills regardless of who caused the crash. Fault still matters for lawsuits over pain and suffering or for damages above PIP limits, but routine post-accident care is paid through your PIP coverage first.
14-Day Rule
- Under Fla. Stat. §627.736, an injured person must receive initial medical care within 14 days of a crash to keep PIP benefits. Missing the window means PIP for that crash is forfeited entirely. PT Near Me bills PIP first, then MedPay if the auto policy includes it. We do not bill commercial health insurance.
EMCEmergency Medical Condition
- A formal determination, made by a physician, dentist, PA, or ARNP, that the patient has an emergency medical condition arising from the crash. Only an EMC unlocks the full $10,000 PIP benefit. Without an EMC determination, PIP medical benefits are capped at $2,500.
MedPayMedical Payments Coverage
- Optional auto-insurance coverage that pays medical bills after a crash regardless of fault, layered on top of PIP. When the patient's auto policy includes MedPay, we bill it as secondary once the $10,000 PIP benefit is exhausted. PT Near Me bills PIP and MedPay; we do not bill commercial health insurance.
AOBAssignment of Benefits
- A document the patient signs allowing the provider to bill the patient's insurance directly and receive payment from the carrier. AOBs are used routinely in PIP billing so the PT practice can pursue payment from the auto insurer without the patient handling the claim.
MMIMaximum Medical Improvement
- The point at which a patient's injuries have stabilized and further treatment is unlikely to produce meaningful improvement. MMI is a clinical determination by the treating provider. In PI cases, MMI usually signals readiness for discharge and demand-package preparation.
Bodily Injury ClaimBI Claim
- A claim made against the at-fault driver's bodily injury (BI) liability policy for damages beyond what PIP covers — typically pain and suffering, lost wages, and medical expenses above PIP limits. BI claims are separate from PIP.
UM/UIMUninsured / Underinsured Motorist
- Optional Florida coverage that pays the insured driver if they're hit by a driver with no liability insurance (UM) or with too little to cover the damages (UIM). With more than one in four Florida crashes involving a hit-and-run, UM/UIM is often the only available recovery source.
PIP Exhaustion
- What happens when the $10,000 PIP limit has been spent. After exhaustion, continued PT continues under MedPay if the auto policy includes it. PT Near Me does not bill commercial health insurance. Exhaustion frequently occurs early when imaging and an orthopedic consult precede therapy.
MVAMotor Vehicle Accident
- The standard clinical and billing abbreviation for a motor-vehicle accident. Post-MVA care refers to evaluation and treatment following any collision involving a car, truck, motorcycle, or commercial vehicle.
ICD-10
- The diagnostic coding system used in U.S. healthcare billing. Each PT diagnosis is captured with an ICD-10 code that ties the treatment to a specific injury (for example, cervical sprain, lumbar disc displacement, post-concussive syndrome). Accurate ICD-10 coding is critical to PIP and MedPay reimbursement.
CPT CodesCurrent Procedural Terminology
- Standardized billing codes that describe each PT service delivered during a visit — for example, 97140 for manual therapy or 97110 for therapeutic exercise. Carriers review CPT coding closely when auditing a treatment course.
Plan of Care
- The written treatment program a physical therapist creates after the initial evaluation. It lists the patient's diagnoses, goals, frequency and duration of visits, and specific interventions. Florida law and most payers require the plan of care to be reviewed and updated at regular intervals.
Manual Therapy
- Hands-on PT techniques — soft-tissue mobilization, joint mobilization, myofascial release — used to reduce pain and restore movement. Manual therapy is a core component of post-MVA care for cervical-spine and lumbar injuries.
Neuromuscular Re-education
- PT interventions that retrain the nervous system's control of movement, balance, and posture. Common in post-concussive cases and in patients with persistent guarded movement after a crash. Billed under CPT 97112.
WhiplashWhiplash-Associated Disorder
- A neck injury caused by rapid back-and-forth movement of the head, most often from a rear-end collision. Symptoms include neck pain, stiffness, headaches, and reduced range of motion. Early active PT consistently outperforms rest or prolonged immobilization for whiplash recovery.
HB 837
- A 2023 Florida statute that reduced the statute of limitations for most personal-injury lawsuits from four years to two years, along with other tort-reform changes. The shorter window makes early documentation of injury and treatment more important than it used to be.
Need help applying these to a specific case?
Our intake team confirms PIP and MedPay status, identifies the responsible carrier, and schedules the in-home evaluation during the referral call.