​Physicians

Are you a treating physician to a patient who has been involved in a car crash? Here are a few things you should know.

Treatment guidelines

Physicians are expected to assess patients and determine their treatment plans in accordance with the College of Physicians and Surgeons practice standards, using evidence-informed practice when establishing a diagnosis and providing treatments.

As of April 1, 2019, when treating a patient with an injury listed in sections 3 or 4 of the Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols in the Minor Injury Regulation made under the Insurance (Vehicle) Act, a health care practitioner must educate the patient with respect to the following:

(1) (a) if applicable, the desirability of an early return:

a. to the activities the patient could perform before the injury, or

b. to the patient's employment, occupation or profession or the patient's training or education in a program or course;

(b) an estimate of the probable length of time that symptoms will last;

(c) the usual course of recovery;

(d) the probable factors that are responsible for the symptoms the patient may be experiencing;

(e) appropriate self-management and pain management strategies.

(2) When treating a pain syndrome and a psychological or psychiatric condition, a health care practitioner must identify comorbid conditions, if applicable.

Note: Oversight is the responsibility of a practitioner to ensure treatment plans are in alignment with the treatment goals of the primary care provider(s). This may involve sharing of the assessment findings and treatment recommendations with the primary care provider, in accordance with the association's information sharing guidelines. 

Fees

Effective April 1, 2019, the provincial government has updated the treatment fees that ICBC will cover for care and treatment after a crash. This has been outlined in the Insurance (Vehicle) Regulation. These rates apply to patient visits in which an assessment occurs and for which a report and treatment plan is generated. The table below outlines the type of visits that may occur, and the fee that ICBC will pay upon receipt of the report.

**From the date of the accident causing the injury

Notes

• For physicians, regular MSP visits will continue to be billed via MSP-Teleplan, at the current MSP established rate. Most EMR solutions allow you to select ICBC as the funder.
• Please note that visits occurring after a claim closes can no longer be billed to ICBC. 
• If you are providing recommendations for treatment with an allied health professional (e.g., physiotherapist, RMT, etc.), then ICBC will pay up to the amount set in regulations. Patients who choose to visit a health care practitioner that charges a higher rate than what ICBC funds under accident benefits will not be able to recover the user fees from ICBC for claims with a date of loss on or after April 1, 2019. This will mean that the patient is responsible for paying the user fee portion, which they may submit to their private health insurer for consideration of coverage.

Changes to invoicing & reporting

As of April 1, 2019, ICBC is simplifying the invoicing process for reports and report-related visits. When a patient attends an appointment, for the purpose of completing a report to send to ICBC, the report itself serves as the invoice. This reduces administrative tasks and simplifies the payment process. ICBC will not accept separate invoices for these visits and reports in order to prevent duplicate billings or duplicate payments. Short visits that don't require a reassessment report can be invoiced through MSP-Teleplan.

It is important to discuss with your patient the purpose of the reports and ensure that you have received their consent to share the report with ICBC, consistent with your consent and information sharing guidelines. Please ensure reports or information are shared with ICBC only where patient consent has been granted or where requested under legislation. For more information on patient consent, including a flow chart of the process, review our patient consent considerations document.

The Health Care Provider Reports (CL489) have replaced the medical report (CL19) form and are the ONLY reports requested by ICBC under Section 28/28.1 of the Insurance (Vehicle) Act. ICBC is not permitted to request any other reports, diagnostic test results, or clinical records without patient consent.

Reports have been integrated into EMR

The new ICBC reports have been integrated into several common Electronic Medical Record (EMR) solutions. Please ensure you are following the required steps of your respective EMR solution. If your EMR solution does not house the report you are looking for, you will be able to download the report here after April 1, 2019. If your EMR provider has not integrated the reports into their software, please mail or fax the report to:

By mail:
Return to ICBC
PO BOX 2121, STATION TERMINAL
VANCOUVER, B.C.
V6B 0L6

By fax: 1-877-686-4222

You can find out more information about submitting reports and access the standard and extended assessment and reassessment report templates on the Reports page.

Information for completing reports

You are required to complete the report(s) if you are physician who is considered most responsible for the patient (and you are monitoring the outlined treatment plan). You will need the patient's claim number and date of accident, as well as your vendor number. You will be asked to identify an invoice or reference number, which would be the number in your own filing system that would help you identify this record. Additionally, you will be asked to identify the payee and the practitioner. In some cases, the payee is the same as the practitioner, or it may be a clinic or another entity depending on your payment model.

What is an ICBC vendor number?

A vendor number is used to identify the clinic or practitioner that ICBC pays for the treatment service. This number allows for you to conveniently receive one combined payment for all services, along with a statement listing all paid reports or invoices. Payments can be received via electronic fund transfer (EFT), which is deposited directly to your nominated account. Keeping on top of your business accounts is easier when you're enrolled in our vendor system.

If you have completed a CL-19 previously, you will find your vendor number on the vendor statement or EFT statement that you received from ICBC. If you have a vendor number already, you will not need to apply for a new one, as this number will not be changing as of April 1 and will remain strictly for billing purposes. Please ensure that you use the number identifying the clinic or practitioner that is to be paid for completing the service.

Applying for a vendor number

Apply for a vendor number 

If you are new to working with patients who are insured by ICBC, you can apply for a vendor number. The form will ask you for your name, address, business type, and payment details. You should receive a reply from ICBC within three business days. Please complete the application form and click the send button to apply for your vendor number.

You will also have the option of enrollment for electronic fund transfer. This completed document with an attached void cheque must be emailed to ICBC. The link to this email address can be found in the vendor
number application form.

Notes on invoicing & reporting

• All existing requests for CL-19s sent to ICBC prior to April 1, 2019, remain in effect
• When a report request is received for patients with open claims, physicians can complete the GP Reassessment Medical Report (a template is available on the Reports page)
• For patients with new claims, new report templates can be used in conjunction with the initial assessment. Reassessment reports can be completed if or when care becomes complicated or prolonged, if an updated care plan is required or if a referral to a Registered Care Advisor is made. 

Registered Care Advisor referrals

The role of the Registered Care Advisor (RCA) is to provide expedited medical consultations to patients injured in a motor vehicle accident, with the intention of advising treating physicians on best practice and appropriate diagnosis and treatment pathways when one or more of the following circumstances apply:

(a) the family physician is unable to make a clear diagnosis;

(b) the patient is not recovering from the injury as expected by the family physician;

(c) there are factors complicating the patient's recovery from the injury.

Physicians can refer patients to any RCA on the applicable roster, including those within the same clinic or practice. The selection of RCA is at the discretion of the physician and may depend on factors including proximity to the patient and specialty or area of practice. Physicians can provide up to two referrals for a patient, with the initial referral typically occurring within 90 days of the injury.

Physicians can apply to become an RCA through the College of Physicians and Surgeons' Annual Licence Renewal Form, or by contacting the College directly at any time outside of this period. RCAs are compensated $380 for the initial appointment and report and $120 for the follow-up.

For more information, visit the RCA section of the Business Partners page, where you will also find the detailed RCA Information Guide.

Contact & support

The Health Care Inquiry Unit (HCIU) is available to address questions Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. PST

• Lower mainland: 604-587-7150
• Toll free: 1-888-717-7150

For additional support and information, visit the Support and resources page.