Answers to Your Questions on ICBC Massage Therapy Treatments at Our Clinic
Yes. With an active ICBC claim, you are automatically pre-approved for 12 treatments with a registered massage therapist (RMT) within 12 weeks from the date of the accident. We are part of ICBC’s Recovery Network and can direct bill ICBC for the services we provide.
You can book an appointment online, or call us at 604-568-1337 to book. Have your ICBC claim number, the date of the accident, and claim adjuster’s name and contact number ready to share with us. At our clinic, there are three RMTs, each with over 15 years’ experience helping patients who have suffered from car accidents.
This depends on the intensity of your symptoms and how sensitive your body is to hands-on treatment after the accident. Early on after a car accident, it is typical for patients to receive one to two treatments per week. Talk to your RMT after the first appointment to decide together what is the best frequency of treatment for you.
After a car accident, you may have neck and back pain, tension headaches, limitations turning your head or bending forward, and/or inability to sit or stand for very long. The severity of symptoms depends on the speed at impact during the accident, how you were hit, and how quickly you sought treatment afterwards.
Massage therapy can help you to recover by:
– reducing muscle tension and spasm
– improving muscle and joint flexibility
– stimulating circulation to the areas being treated
– improving sleep quality
– promoting overall relaxation, thereby reducing stress and anxiety, and
– preventing chronic pain.
As stipulated by ICBC, your first (initial) massage therapy visit must be 60 minutes long. The subsequent treatments you schedule may be 45 minutes or 60 minutes long, depending on your needs and how many areas are injured.
We will direct bill ICBC for the portion of fees which they cover. ICBC partly covers the cost of massage therapy sessions at our clinic. The remainder of what is not covered is charged as a user fee to the patient. The user fee for an initial 60-minute massage is $6. The user fee for a subsequent or follow-up 45-minute massage is $10, and for 60-minute massage is $30. Keep your receipts as the user fee you pay may be reimbursable by your extended health insurance. All our treatment fees are listed here.
If you are struggling to cope with daily activities and need more treatment to support your recovery beyond 12 weeks from the date of the accident, your RMT will submit a treatment plan and request an extension to your ICBC claim adjuster for his or her consideration.
ICBC will need to give approval if you want to begin treatment after 12 weeks has passed from the date of the accident. The clinic will reach out to your ICBC adjuster to confirm coverage. If you don’t want to wait, you have the option to begin treatment by paying privately first, and get a refund from the clinic later if your coverage is confirmed.