VA Community Care Guide
Physical therapy through VA Community Care
Quick answer: Physical therapy through VA Community Care generally requires VA authorization. Veterans can use the directory to research physical therapy categories, local pages, and clinician listings before confirming scheduling details.
Last reviewed 2026-07-23 by the VA Community Care Directory editorial team. This independent guide is for research and does not replace VA referral authorization, eligibility decisions, or provider office verification.
What to do next
- Confirm with the VA care team whether physical therapy is authorized through community care.
- Open physical therapy, PM&R, and city pages to compare relevant options.
- Verify location, availability, provider participation, and referral details.
- Use provider or clinician pages as research aids, not as authorization documents.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the physical therapy category page?
The physical therapy category page is available at /va-community-care/physical-therapy.html.
Is PM&R the same as physical therapy?
No. Physical medicine and rehabilitation is a physician specialty, while physical therapy is a rehabilitation service. Both may appear in Veterans' care research.
What should Veterans verify?
Verify VA authorization, appointment availability, location, and whether the office can see the Veteran under the authorization.
Related VA community care pages
- Physical therapy category
- Physical medicine and rehab category
- Find care by city
- Browse all care categories
- Find VA community care by city
Primary sources
These sources support the referral, authorization, provider-identification, and verification guidance on this page.
- VA Community Care overview ↗
- VA referrals and appointment scheduling ↗
- VA Community Care Network and covered services ↗
- CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System ↗
- Directory methodology and evidence levels
VA Community Care Directory is independent and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans should verify eligibility, referral authorization, provider participation, appointment availability, address, and phone details before scheduling.