Compare 76 occupational therapists in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Check ratings, insurance, and availability.
76
Occupational Therapists
100%
Accepting patients
37%
Most common: OTR
Ranked by Clarity Score, based on profile detail, verification, and patient activity.
Fort Lauderdale sits in the shadow of Miami's medical establishment to the south, but it has quietly built its own identity. Broward Health's public system handles the volume, while Holy Cross's Cleveland Clinic affiliation has brought specialty depth that did not exist here a decade ago.
Fort Lauderdale has 76 occupational therapists. The most common credential is OTR (37%). 100% are currently accepting new patients.
Healthcare clusters along three east-west corridors: the downtown/Las Olas strip near Broward Health Medical Center, the Commercial Boulevard corridor near Holy Cross Health, and the Cypress Creek area in the north. I-95 and the Florida Turnpike connect neighborhoods to hospitals, but rush-hour traffic on US-1 and Broward Boulevard can double travel times.
Providers practice throughout Fort Lauderdale. Las Olas is fort Lauderdale's signature boulevard, with specialty and concierge practices clustered between downtown and the beach. Victoria Park is a central residential neighborhood near Broward Health Medical Center with established family practices. Wilton Manors is known as a welcoming LGBTQ+ community with affirming primary care and mental health providers. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is a small beach town north of Fort Lauderdale with walk-in clinics and proximity to Holy Cross Health.
Nearby hospitals include Broward Health Medical Center, Holy Cross Health (a Cleveland Clinic hospital), and Fort Lauderdale Hospital (behavioral health). Local training programs run through Nova Southeastern University and Florida Atlantic University (nearby Boca Raton campus). Broward Health is one of the ten largest public health systems in the United States, operating multiple hospitals and dozens of outpatient centers across Broward County.
An initial evaluation lasts 60 to 90 minutes. The OT will assess your ability to perform daily activities, test strength and range of motion (especially upper body and hands), and evaluate sensory processing, cognition, and home or work environment as relevant. For children, evaluation often includes play-based assessment and parent interview. Treatment sessions are 30 to 60 minutes, typically one to three times per week. OTs use purposeful activities, exercises, adaptive equipment, and environmental modifications to help you reach your goals.
For children: see an OT if your child struggles with handwriting, avoids textures or certain foods (sensory processing), has difficulty with self-care tasks (dressing, feeding) compared to peers, or has fine motor delays identified by a pediatrician or teacher. For adults: see an OT after a stroke, hand or arm injury, joint replacement, traumatic brain injury, or when a chronic condition (arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's) makes daily tasks difficult. OTs also help with workplace ergonomics and injury prevention.
Evaluation: $150-400 · Therapy session copay: $20-60 with insurance · Self-pay session: $100-200 · Hand therapy session: $100-250 · School-based OT: free through IEP
Occupational therapists specialize in hand therapy after injuries, surgeries, and conditions like carpal tunnel. They use splinting, exercises, and activity modification to restore function.
After a stroke, occupational therapists help you relearn everyday activities like dressing, bathing, and cooking. They adapt tasks and environments to maximize your independence.
Occupational therapists help children who struggle with fine motor skills, sensory processing, self-care tasks, and handwriting. Therapy is play-based and tailored to each child development level.
Occupational therapists teach joint protection techniques, recommend adaptive equipment, and design exercise programs that keep you active while protecting inflamed joints.
Repetitive strain injuries from desk work, manual labor, or any repetitive task respond well to ergonomic modifications and therapeutic exercises. Occupational therapists assess your work setup and design practical solutions.
Fort Lauderdale, FL has 76 licensed occupational therapists. 100% are currently accepting new patients, so finding an available provider should be straightforward.
Yes. 100% of occupational therapists in Fort Lauderdale, FL are currently accepting new patients. You can filter your search on FindClarity to show only providers who are taking new patients.
Broward County has strong ACA marketplace competition with Florida Blue, Ambetter, Molina, and Oscar all active. PPO plans give more flexibility across the Broward Health and Holy Cross systems. HMO plans may restrict you to one network.
An evaluation costs $150 to $400. A session copay is $20 to $60 with insurance. A self-pay session costs $100 to $200. A hand therapy session costs $100 to $250. School-based OT is free through an IEP. Actual costs in Fort Lauderdale, FL depend on the provider and your insurance plan. Ask your plan about visit limits (commonly 20-60 per year) and whether OT and PT visits share a combined limit or have separate limits. Adaptive equipment recommended by an OT may be covered under your DME benefit.
Fort Lauderdale's healthcare market is split between the Broward Health public system and private providers affiliated with Cleveland Clinic (Holy Cross), Baptist Health, and Memorial Healthcare System to the south. Most residents in the city proper use Broward Health or Holy Cross, while those in western suburbs often connect to Memorial or Cleveland Clinic Weston.
OTR stands for Occupational Therapist Registered and OTR/L stands for Occupational Therapist Registered/Licensed. Both are equivalent qualifications. In Fort Lauderdale, FL, 37% hold the OTR credential and 26% hold OTR/L. The difference is in training pathway, not quality of care.
13% of occupational therapists in Fort Lauderdale, FL accept Medicare. Medicare covers outpatient occupational therapy without a hard visit cap. A physician order is required. Standard Part B cost-sharing applies. OT in skilled nursing facilities is covered under Part A. You can filter for Medicare-accepting providers on FindClarity.
Holy Cross Health became part of Cleveland Clinic in 2021. The biggest changes are expanded cardiology, neurology, and surgical programs, plus access to Cleveland Clinic's physician network for complex referrals. Day-to-day operations and locations have remained largely the same.
Yes. Many practices in Fort Lauderdale are accustomed to snowbird patients who visit October through April. Urgent care centers along US-1 and Federal Highway accept most out-of-state insurance. For ongoing care, ask your provider about telehealth follow-ups when you return home.
Top accepted carriers in Fort Lauderdale, FL include medicare, molina, centene, qhp-17091, and qhp-44228.
Most insurance plans cover occupational therapy with a prescription. Visit limits of 20 to 60 sessions per year are common. Medicare covers outpatient OT without a hard visit cap. Medicaid covers OT for children under EPSDT. For hand therapy (a specialized OT certification), verify your plan covers the certified hand therapist (CHT) designation. Adaptive equipment recommended by an OT (shower chairs, dressing aids) may be covered under durable medical equipment benefits.