Accessing treatment without pre-approval
Workers can receive any reasonably necessary treatment and services within 48 hours of the injury occurring without pre‑approval from the insurer.
SIRA approved allied health practitioners
In some instances, SIRA approved practitioners are not required to obtain prior insurer approval for service provision. This is designed to help the provision of timely treatment to support the worker’s recovery at/return to work. Practitioners should however note they still need to confirm with the insurer prior to the initial consultation if the worker is eligible for services (as stated in the previous section on eligibility)
For a full list of exemptions from prior approval refer to the Guidelines for claiming workers compensation. These exemptions do not apply to exempt categories of workers (police officers, fire fighters, paramedics).
Non SIRA approved allied health practitioners
Non SIRA approved practitioners must obtain insurer approval prior to delivering any treatment services to a worker.
Interstate allied health practitioners
Interstate practitioners who are not SIRA approved must obtain insurer approval prior to delivering any treatment services to a worker.