Getting medical care and treatment after a crash
If you've been in a crash, you may need medical care. Enhanced Accident Benefits are here to support you in accessing the services you'll need to recover, no matter who is responsible (at fault) in the crash.
The care and treatment process
Here's an idea of the claims and treatment process if you're injured in a crash.
Seeing your health care practitioner
Your support and recovery specialist will work with you and your health care practitioner(s) to help you recover from a crash. These practitioners can include your doctor, as well as those listed in the table below. Your doctor or medical practitioner will determine your care, and we will work with you, your doctor and your health care providers to help you access the services and care benefits that support your recovery.
Not sure how to find a practitioner? You can access all regulated health profession colleges through
BC Health Regulators and search their practitioner directories. For unregulated professions, such as kinesiologists, and clinical counsellors, you can visit their association websites.
Get approved treatment after a crash
You do not have to wait for a support and recovery specialist to contact you before getting treatment under Enhanced Accident Benefits. For the first 12 weeks after your crash, you can go for treatment with the health care practitioners listed in the table below for the listed number of treatments without the need for a doctor’s referral. Just make sure you have your ICBC claim number when getting treatment.
Type of practitioner:
| Number of approved treatments:
| Standard treatment fees covered by ICBC (treatment date between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023):
|
Physiotherapist
| 25
| $84
|
Chiropractor
| 25
| $56
|
Registered massage therapist
| 12
| $85
|
Kinesiologist
| 12
| $83
|
Psychologist
| 12
| $207
|
Clinical counsellor
| 12
| $127
|
Acupuncturist
| 12
| $94
|
In certain circumstances, an occupational therapist may be recommended to assist in your treatment plan. Talk to your support and recovery specialist to see if funding for an occupational therapist is an option.
Some of these practitioners may bill ICBC directly, so you won't have to submit receipts for reimbursement or be out of pocket. Some health care practitioner fees may exceed amounts covered by ICBC — if you have
other insurance coverage (for example, with your employer), it may cover the difference.
If your care provider doesn't bill ICBC directly, you can submit your receipts for review to see if they are eligible for reimbursement. If your crash occurred on or after May 1, 2021, please send your receipts
within 180 days of the treatment or purchase date to be eligible for consideration. If your crash occurred between April 1, 2019, and April 30, 2021, receipts for reimbursement must be submitted within
60 days of the treatment or purchase date.
If you need longer-term care
Your recovery may require additional treatment beyond 12 weeks after a crash.
If your health care provider has indicated that your treatment plan needs to be extended, they'll submit an additional treatment plan to your support and recovery specialist that outlines the further treatment planned and its expected benefit to your recovery. You can always discuss your treatment and recovery progress with your support and recovery specialist.
If you experience a life-altering injury causing permanent and severe impairment impacting daily life, the following benefits are available:
Permanent impairment compensation - provides financial compensation for those catastrophically injured in a crash. Those with serious, but non-catastrophic, permanent injuries could also be eligible for some compensation under this benefit.
Recreational benefit - if the crash led to a permanent impairment, this benefit helps you participate in recreational or leisure activities that require extra support.
Personal care assistance - up to $6,187 per month for the severely injured and $10,280 per month for those requiring 24/7 care. The level of coverage depends on the extent of the assistance required and the services must be authorized by ICBC. You can access a
roster of service providers that have been preauthorized to invoice ICBC directly. You may also choose to hire a service provider who is not on the roster.
If you choose to engage a non-program service provider, it will be your responsibility to pay for the services provided and submit a reimbursement form to ICBC. For more information, please speak to your recovery specialist.