Permanent impairment assessors
This information is for permanent impairment assessors to help assess an injured person’s permanent impairment in the workers compensation system.
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Workers compensation
A permanent impairment assessor is a registered medical practitioner trained to assess a worker's permanent impairment as a result of a work related injury or illness.
In brief
A permanent impairment assessor is a registered medical practitioner recognised as a specialist with qualifications, training and experience relevant to the specific body system or systems being assessed.
To provide services within the NSW workers compensation system, you must be a trained assessor of permanent impairment for each body system you intend to assess and be listed for each body system on the SIRA workers compensation website. You may be one of the worker’s treating specialists or you may be engaged on behalf of the worker, employer or insurer for the purposes of assessing the level of permanent impairment.
A permanent impairment assessment is used to measure how much permanent change has happened to the worker’s body because of their injury.
In assessing permanent impairment, the assessor must determine:
- whether the worker's condition has resulted in impairment
- whether the condition has reached maximum medical improvement
- whether the impairment is permanent
- the degree of permanent impairment that results from the injury
- the proportion of permanent impairment due to any previous injury, pre-existing condition or abnormality.
How do I become a permanent impairment assessor?
In order to become a permanent impairment assessor you are required to:
- meet certain eligibility criteria
- satisfactorily complete training in the evaluation of permanent impairment, and
- submit an application and be listed on the website.
Becoming an assessor of permanent impairment explains the process and requirements to become listed as an assessor of permanent impairment. Applicants may apply to be listed using the assessor of permanent impairment application.
You can use our online search tool to find a permanent assessor (or to see who's listed).
Training in the evaluation of permanent impairment
Australian Medical Association (AMA) Victoria’s education business unit, AMA Training has partnered with AMA NSW to provide training in the evaluation of permanent impairment in the NSW workers compensation system.
For more information on the course, refer to our Training and workshops page.
To register, contact AMA Training on (03) 9280 8722 or email amatraining@amavic.com.au.
Publications you might need
These documents also provide additional information:
- Guidelines for the evaluation of permanent impairment (effective 1 April 2016)
- Clarification to interpret and apply 'Table 4.2 - Modifiers for DRE categories following surgery'
- Summary of changes to permanent impairment guidelines
- Workers compensation guidelines
- Workers compensation guide for medical practitioners
- Workers compensation medical dispute assessment guidelines 2019
Fees and invoicing
The fees orders set out the rates payable to assessors of permanent impairment. Find these and other Fees Orders 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 fees 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 and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Psychology and Counselling fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Surgeon fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Private Hospital Maximum rates fee order (2020) (effective 1 April 2020)
- SIRA rates for General Practitioners 2021 (effective 1 January 2021)
- SIRA telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners 2021
- 2020 Public Hospital Fees Schedule (effective 1 July 2020)
- Workers compensation (ambulance service fees) order 2020 (effective 11 September 2020)
- Workers compensation (public hospital rates) order 2020 (effective 1 July 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 your invoices will 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. Refer to the technical manual for further information:
- self and specialised insurers, or
- nominal insurer
- 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.