Navigating our Public health System. Part 2 - Worker’s Compensation and Motor Vehicle Accidents.
If you've ever been injured at work, or been in a car accident, you'll know the injury is often only half the battle. The other half is figuring out who's paying for what, which forms you need, and who you're even supposed to be calling. It's a lot to juggle on top of recovering.
In Part 1, we walked through Medicare, subsidised scans, and DVA. In Part 2, we're covering the two other funding pathways we see most often at Formotion Physio:
Workers' Compensation and Motor Vehicle Accident (MVA) insurance through ICWA. Both can cover your physiotherapy with little to no out-of-pocket cost once your claim is accepted, but getting there involves a slightly different process to a standard Medicare or private appointment.
Please note all advice below is general in nature and subject to change. Rates, forms and processes are set by WorkCover WA and the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA) and can be updated at any time, so always confirm current details directly with your insurer or case manager.
Glossary
Before we get into it, a couple of terms worth knowing:
Claim Number - the reference number your insurer gives you once your claim has been lodged. You'll need this before we can bill your insurer directly. If you don’t have one yet you can still access treatment and potentially claim it back later once the claim has been accepted.
Case Manager – the person at your insurer who oversees your claim, approves treatment, and is your main point of contact for anything claim-related.
Rehab Provider - a person / company who accepts as a liaison between everyone involved: You, your employer, your case manager and any other health providers like your GP or Physio. Not everyone is assigned one.
Part 2a. Workers' Compensation
What is Workers' Compensation?
If you're injured at work, or your condition arises out of your employment, your employer is required to hold workers' compensation insurance to cover the cost of your treatment (and, in many cases, a portion of lost income while you recover). In WA, this scheme is regulated by WorkCover WA, though the actual claim sits with your employer's insurer.
How Do I Access Physiotherapy Under Workers' Compensation?
The process looks a little different to booking a standard appointment:
Report the injury to your employer as soon as possible, so they can lodge a claim with their insurer.
Once lodged, you'll be issued a claim acceptance letter and a claim number – you'll also usually be assigned a case manager.
You'll need a GP referral to start physiotherapy under your claim.
When you book with us, bring along your claim number, claim acceptance letter, and your case manager's name and contact details (you can also select "Workers' Compensation / Motor Vehicle Accident – New Assessment" when booking online).
From there, we liaise directly with your case manager to get your treatment plan approved at WorkCover WA rates. Once approved, we bill the insurer directly, so there's no out-of-pocket cost to you for treatment covered under the plan.
If your paperwork isn't sorted yet but you don't want to delay treatment, you can pay privately in the meantime and potentially claim the cost back once your claim is accepted.
Key Points:
A GP referral, claim number and claim acceptance letter are needed before we can bill your insurer directly.
Once your treatment plan is approved, there's generally no out-of-pocket cost for covered sessions.
You can choose your own physiotherapist under Workers' Compensation – if you'd like to switch providers, just raise it with your case manager.
Missed appointments and late cancellations aren't covered by WorkCover WA, so those fees remain your responsibility.
Part 2b. Motor Vehicle Accident Insurance (ICWA)
What is ICWA Motor Injury Insurance?
If you're injured in a crash caused (fully or partly) by someone else's driving, cover generally comes through the Insurance Commission of Western Australia (ICWA), which administers the compulsory third-party motor injury insurance built into every WA vehicle registration. It's not just for drivers – passengers, pedestrians and cyclists injured by a vehicle can also be covered.
How Do I Access Physiotherapy After a Car Accident?
Report the crash (via crashreport.com.au if applicable) and lodge an injury claim with ICWA.
Once your claim is accepted, you'll receive a claim number – this is what allows us to bill ICWA directly for your sessions.
A GP referral isn't strictly mandatory for an ICWA claim (unlike Workers' Compensation), but we'd still recommend one, so we can liaise with your GP where needed.
As with Workers' Compensation, you can book online under "Workers' Compensation / Motor Vehicle Accident – New Assessment."
If you don't yet have a claim number when you're ready to start treatment, sessions can be paid for upfront, with the possibility of claiming the cost back once your claim is accepted. How long that acceptance takes varies quite a bit from case to case, so it's worth chasing your claim status directly with ICWA if you're unsure.
What Does ICWA Cover?
ICWA can cover a broad range of "reasonable and necessary" treatment, including ambulance, hospital and medical costs, imaging, medication, and allied health services such as physiotherapy. Fees are paid up to maximum amounts set out in ICWA's published fee schedule (benchmarked against AMA and WorkCover WA rates) – so most sessions are covered in full, though a gap may apply if a provider's fee sits above the scheduled maximum.
Common injuries we see from motor vehicle accidents include whiplash, concussion, and knee, hip or other joint injuries from impact or high-speed collisions.
Catastrophic Injuries Support
For the small number of people who sustain very severe, life-changing injuries in a crash – regardless of who was at fault – ICWA also runs a Catastrophic Injuries Support program, providing longer-term treatment and care funding outside the standard claims process. If this applies to you or a family member, it's worth asking your case manager or contacting ICWA directly for details, as the support pathway differs from a standard injury claim.
For more info on ICWA and Motor Vehicle Accidents vist: https://www.icwa.wa.gov.au/motor-injury-insurance/make-an-injury-claim
Key Points:
You'll need an accepted claim and claim number from ICWA before we can bill them directly.
A GP referral isn't mandatory, but we recommend one so we can coordinate your care.
Most reasonable and necessary treatment is covered up to ICWA's fee schedule maximums – ask us if you're ever unsure whether a gap will apply.
Severely injured? Ask about ICWA's Catastrophic Injuries Support program.
In Summary
Both Workers' Compensation and ICWA claims can fund your physiotherapy with little to no cost to you once accepted – the main things to sort out early are your claim number, claim acceptance, and (for Workers' Compensation) your GP referral. If you're not sure where your claim stands, our admin team is always happy to help you figure out next steps.
To book a Physiotherapy consultation at either of our locations in Osborne Park or Joondalup, click the button below: