Motor accidents

Guidelines for the provision of relevant services have been published

SIRA has published the Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services), which apply to relevant service providers providing services in the NSW workers compensation and CTP (for accidents on or after 1 December 2017) schemes.

The following sections of the guidelines apply to massage therapists providing relevant services in the CTP scheme:

This webpage has been updated to include content from the Guidelines and the associated legislation.

In brief

Your role includes:

conducting appropriate assessment, goal setting in conjunction with the injured person and providing the best treatment to help the injured person achieve their goals
providing treatment for injuries sustained in the motor vehicle accident to enable the injured person to resume participation in pre-injury activities that have been restricted by the motor vehicle accident related injuries
empowering the injured person to manage their injury and recovery
monitoring progress towards the injured person’s goal (for improved capacity/function) and adjusting the treatment plan as required
communicating and collaborating with key parties (for example, general practitioner, other allied health practitioners, case managers, rehabilitation providers and insurers) to achieve common goals.

At all times your practice needs to adhere to the relevant professional code of conduct and/or legislation of the relevant board or association.

The single allied health practitioner role does not include:

making referrals or coordinating the injured person’s recovery at work
advocating for the injured person in relation to the management of their claim or coaching them through litigation or other compensation processes
providing services that are not related to the injuries sustained in the motor vehicle accident.

A step by step guide on how to provide massage therapy services is available in Providing allied health services in the NSW CTP schemes - FAQs.

Refer to the Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services) for the specific provisions that allied health providers, including massage therapists, must comply with.

Forms you might need

You will need the Allied Health Recovery Request (AHRR). Please read this information on the AHRR before you use this form for the first time. You can also find the form on this page. All massage therapists are required to submit an AHRR when seeking approval for treatment services.

Publications you might need

Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services)
Providing allied health services in the NSW CTP schemes - FAQs (advice on how to provide your services)
Information on the Allied Health Recovery Request
Clinical framework for the delivery of health services
The Health Benefits of Good Work
Minor injury: information for allied health professionals working in the NSW CTP scheme
the Treatment Advice Centre (advice for professionals to help with treatment)
the Injury Advice Centre (advice for injured people to help with recovery)

Fees and invoicing

Get treatment approval first

If the insurer denies liability, or declines a treatment request because it does not meet 'reasonable and necessary' criteria, your patient is personally responsible for payment of accounts. So before treating your patient please confirm they have submitted a CTP claim and you have approval from the insurer to start treatment. Insurers must provide a written response within 10 days of the request being received.

SIRA currently does not have gazetted fees for massage therapists working with a motor accident claimant with the exception of a $35.60 (plus GST) fee for the initial Allied Health Recovery Request (AHRR). Subsequent AHRRs do not attract a fee and should be completed as part of the standard consultation cost.

As the massage therapist you can negotiate with the CTP insurer:

agreed fees and costs for providing approved treatment
payment for any request for additional reports or opinions on a claimant’s treatment or progress
payment for completion of the rehabilitation services request, attendant care request, equipment request or agreed goals of rehabilitation if required to be completed

What can I do to get paid quickest?

To facilitate prompt payment by a CTP Green Slip insurer, we suggest you:

include the appropriate service code with your invoice
issue the account in the form of a tax invoice and include the:
- injured person’s name
- date of accident
- insurer’s reference/claim number
- provider’s ABN, address and GST (if applicable)
send accounts directly to the CTP Green Slip insurer. It is difficult to ensure timely submission of accounts by other parties (for example, an injured person or their solicitor)
direct all enquiries about payment to the claims officer you have been dealing with.

Without prejudice payments

The CTP Green Slip insurer may agree to pay for treatment on a ‘without prejudice’ basis.

Without prejudice means that although the insurer has agreed to pay for treatment, it does not mean they are accepting liability for the accident or will pay for ongoing treatment once they have determined liability.

Agreement to pay without prejudice should be obtained in writing from the insurer before services are provided.

Service Codes

Please include the appropriate service code/s with your invoice. These are available in Providing allied health services in the NSW CTP schemes - FAQs.

Do I need a service provider number?

Massage therapists don’t need a SIRA provider number to deliver treatment services in the motor accidents scheme.