Workers Compensation
COVID-19 update: SIRA has introduced a number of changes to help medical, allied health practitioners and injured people during the COVID-19 pandemic. These include:
- Telehealth services so that treatment consultations can occur via video or over the telephone
- Find out more information about the changes to certification for workers compensation.
- Updated our Fees Orders and Workers compensation guidelines to remove the requirement for insurer pre-approval for many treatment services delivered by telehealth
- SIRA has introduced 53 telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners, for use from 17 April 2020. Medical practitioners are to bill for telehealth professional consultations using the same AMA Fees List item number normally billed for a face to face consultation, with the addition of a ‘T’ as a suffix to the item number - e.g. AA020 becomes AA020T when delivered by telehealth. For General Practitioners these are summarised in the 2021 Rates for General Practitioners
- Practitioners will need to update their practice software with the relevant item number(s). This may require practitioners to contact their software provider to update their files or practices may be able to manually add the relevant item numbers.
Evidence shows staying at work or returning to work promotes recovery and leads to better health outcomes. In most cases, this means getting back to good work is an important part of recovery.
In brief
Doctors play an important role in the facilitation of treatment and recovery for a worker following a workplace injury.
Doctors support a workers’ recovery by:
- educating them on their injury and recovery options
- where appropriate, recommending treatment to help in their recovery
- acting as the primary contact for treatment and recovery information for their employer, the insurer and other parties involved in the management of their injury
- applying the principles of the clinical framework for the delivery of health services.
It is important to work in collaboration with all parties involved in the management of the workers’ injury.
In the NSW workers compensation system the general practitioner (GP), specialist or surgeon is responsible for the ongoing management of a workers’ injury and is referred to as the nominated treating doctor (NTD). Apart from assessing, diagnosing, treating and certifying patients, the role of the NTD includes supporting the patient with their recovery at/return to work. This also involves contributing to recovery at/return to work planning in collaboration with the worker and other members of the support team.
Learn more about the role doctors play in the NSW workers compensation system with this AMA presentation.
Watch this video on how doctors and employers can work together to help a worker recover at work.
Surgeons
A surgeon is a medical practitioner who is currently:
- a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), or
- recognised by Medicare Australia as a specialist surgeon, and
- registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) as a specialist in surgery.
This includes a surgeon who is a staff member providing services at a public hospital.
Orthopaedic surgeons
An orthopaedic surgeon is a medical practitioner who is currently:
- recognised by the Medical Board of Australia or Medicare Australia as a specialist in orthopaedic surgery, and
- registered with AHPRA as a specialist in orthopaedic surgery.
This includes an orthopaedic surgeon who is a staff member providing services at a public hospital.
Medical specialists and consulting physicians
Practitioners recognised as specialists or consultant physicians under the Health Insurance Act may be involved in a worker’s injury management and recovery at/return to work.
Medical specialists may also be required to give an expert opinion to help in the assessment of a claim, or assist with a dispute or settlement. For more information see:
You can also contact us if you have any questions.
Medical certificates
SIRA has a common medical certificate for both the workers compensation system and motor accident scheme. This is called the certificate of capacity/certificate of fitness. There is information to help you complete this document.
All patients should provide the insurer with a completed certificate of capacity/certificate of fitness to claim for workers compensation.
When completing the certificate of capacity/certificate of fitness it is important to consider:
- the nature of the injury/illness
- the diagnosis
- the treatment required to assist with recovery from the injury/illness
- the patient's capacity for work taking into consideration their capacity for other activities
- proposed dates
- any considerations or modifications in the home or workplace that may assist the worker with their recovery.
Fees and invoicing
Get treatment approval first
If an insurer disputes liability, or declines a treatment request because it does not meet reasonably necessary criteria, the worker may be personally responsible for the payment of accounts.
Before commencing treatment, a doctor should contact the insurer to confirm they have an accepted workers compensation claim and the proposed treatment or service is approved.
Some treatment and services may not require pre-approval from the insurer. The Workers compensation guidelines provides clarification on accessing treatment without prior approval.
The fees orders provide a maximum fee for services provided to a worker. You cannot exceed the maximum fees stated in the Fees Order.
For a summary of the most commonly used GP codes please refer to the 2021 SIRA rates for general practitioners.
All fees you can charge are listed in the relevant fee order below:
Current health-related fees
These are the current health related fees and rates orders.
- Accredited Exercise Physiology fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Hearing Aid fee and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Independent Consultant fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Injury Management Consultant fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Massage Therapy fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Medical Examinations and Reports fees order No.2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Medical Practitioners fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Psychology and Counselling fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Surgeon fees order effective (1 January 2021)
- Private Hospital Maximum rates fee order (2020)
- SIRA rates for General Practitioners 2021
- SIRA telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners 2021
- 2020 Public Hospital Fees Schedule
- Workers compensation (ambulance service fees) order 2020
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2020
Historical health-related fees
These are the historical health related fees and rates orders.
Fees and rates orders 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Accredited Exercise Physiology
- Fees Order 2020 - Accredited Exercise Physiology No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Hearing Aid
- Fees Order 2020 - Hearing Aid No 2 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Independent Consultant
- Fees Order 2020 - Independent Consultant No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Injury Management Consultant
- Fees Order 2020 - Massage Therapy
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Examinations and Reports
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Practitioners
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Practitioners No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Medical Practitioners No 3 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Fees Order 2020 - Orthopaedic Surgeon No 2 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Fees Order 2020 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy No 3 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Psychology and Counselling
- Fees Order 2020 - Psychology and Counselling No 2
- Fees Order 2020 - Psychology and Counselling No 3 effective 17 April 2020
- Fees Order 2020 - Surgeon Fees Order
- Fees Order 2020 - Surgeon Fees Order No 2 effective 17 April 2020
- SIRA rates for General Practitioners 2020
Fees and rates orders 2019
- Fees Order 2019 - Accredited Exercise Physiology
- Fees Order 2019 - Hearing Aid
- Fees Order 2019 -Private Hospital Fee Order
- Fees Order 2019 - Independent Consultant
- Fees Order 2019 - Injury Management Consultant
- Fees Order 2019 - Massage Therapy
- Fees Order 2019 - Medical Examinations and Reports, No. 2
- Fees Order 2019 - Medical Examinations and Reports
- Fees Order 2019 - Medical Practitioners
- SIRA 2019 workers compensation rates for general practitioners
- Fees Order 2019 - Orthopaedic Surgeon
- Fees Order 2019 - Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Fees Order 2019 - Psychology and Counselling
- Fees Order 2019 - Surgeon Fees Order
- 2019 Private Hospital Fees Schedule
- 2019 Public Hospital Fees Schedule
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2019
Fees and rates orders 2018
- Ambulance fees schedule 2018
- Fees order 2018 - accredited exercise physiology
- Fees order 2018 - hearing aids
- Fees order 2018 - independent consultants
- Fees order 2018 - injury management consultants
- Fees order 2018 - massage therapy
- Fees order 2018 - medical examinations and reports
- Fees order 2018 - medical practitioner
- Fees order 2018 - orthopaedic surgeon
- Fees order 2018 - physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy
- Fees order 2018 - psychology and counselling
- Fees order 2018 - surgeon
- Public hospital fees schedule 2018
- Private hospital fees schedule 2018
- SIRA rates for general practitioners 2018
- Workers compensation (private hospital rates) order 2018
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2018
- Workers compensation (ambulance services fees) order 2018
Fees and rates orders 2017
- Fees order 2017 - accredited exercise physiology
- Fees order 2017 - hearing aids
- Fees order 2017 - independent consultants
- Fees order 2017 - injury management consultants
- Fees order 2017 - massage therapy
- Fees order 2017 - medical examinations and reports
- Fees order 2017 - medical practitioner
- Fees order 2017 - orthopaedic surgeon
- Fees order 2017 - physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy
- Fees order 2017 - psychology and counselling
- Fees order 2017 - surgeon
- SIRA rates for general practitioners 2017
- Workers compensation (ambulance services fees) order 2017
- Workers compensation (ambulance services fees) order 2017 no2
- Workers compensation (private hospital rates) order 2017
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2017
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2017 no2
- Workers compensation rates for general practitioners 2017
What invoices need to include
- worker's first and last name, and claim number
- payee details
- ABN
- name of the medical practitioner or service provider who provided the service
- SIRA workers compensation approval number or medical practitioner's Health Insurance Commission provider number (where applicable)
- date of service
- SIRA workers compensation payment classification code or AMA item number where applicable.
- service cost for each SIRA workers compensation payment classification code or AMA item number and service duration (if applicable)
- date of invoice (must be on the day of or after last date of service listed on the invoice)
To prevent delays in payment, these details will need to be provided on all invoices.
Invoices should be submitted within 30 calendar days of the service being provided.
Invoicing for medical reports
When a medical practitioner receives a request for a medical report it’s important to clarify with the referring party the purpose of the request.
If the report is to provide an opinion in relation to a dispute or potential dispute in respect of a claim made by a worker, refer to the Workplace Injury Management and Workers Compensation (Medical Examinations and Reports Fees) Order. Reports by general practitioners and medical specialists have different maximum gazetted rates.
If the report is to provide information in relation to the routine medical management of a worker’s injury and/or matters relating to recovery at/return to work, refer to the Workers Compensation (Medical Practitioner Fees) Order . General practitioners, medical specialists and consulting surgeons have different hourly rates for this service as stated in the Fees Order. The medical practitioner should consult with the referring party to establish an agreed timeframe and the appropriate fee for completion of the requested report.
See also the 2018 Fees Orders for:
Workers Compensation Medical Practitioners
Forms you might need
Publications you might need
- Clinical framework for the delivery of health services
- Workers compensation guide for medical practitioners
- Information on the certificate of capacity/certificate of fitness
- Workers compensation guidelines
- Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and management of work-related mental health conditions in general practice
- Recovery at work support tools - Rapid Review and Rapid Review summary of research findings
Further information
For more information on the role doctors play in the NSW workers compensation system, please refer to this AMA presentation.