Chiropractors
Do you provide chiropractic treatments to customers injured in a car crash? Here are a few things you should know.
Invoicing and reporting
Chiropractors approved to treat our customers may use the Health Care Provider Invoicing and Reporting (HCPIR) application to send invoices and reports directly to ICBC. A vendor number is required to use the HCPIR.
If you have been paid by ICBC before, you likely already have a vendor number. If you do not already have a vendor number or you need to make changes to your information, visit our Vendor number page.
Treatment guidelines
Chiropractors are expected to assess patients and determine their treatment plans in accordance with College practice standards, using evidence-informed practice when establishing a diagnosis and providing treatments.
When treating a patient with an injury listed in sections 3 or 4 of the Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols in the Minor Injury Regulation made under the Insurance (Vehicle) Act, a health care practitioner must educate the patient with respect to the following:
(1) (a) if applicable, the desirability of an early return:
a. to the activities the patient could perform before the injury, or
b. to the patient’s employment, occupation or profession or the patient’s training or education in a program or course;
(b) an estimate of the probable length of time that symptoms will last;
(c) the usual course of recovery;
(d) the probable factors that are responsible for the symptoms the patient may be experiencing;
(e) appropriate self-management and pain management strategies.
(2) When treating a pain syndrome and a psychological or psychiatric condition, a health care practitioner must identify comorbid conditions, if applicable.
Fees
Fees are based on a standard treatment, rather than being charged at an hourly rate.
Fee table
| Initial visit & report* | $204.00 (billable once) as outlined in the Insurance(Vehicle) Regulation |
| Standard treatment | $54.00 per treatment as outlined in the Insurance(Vehicle) Regulation |
| Pre-authorized number of treatments | 25 (within 12 weeks of the date of the accident causing the injury) as outlined in the Insurance (Vehicle) Regulation |
| Reassessment report (upon request) | $65.00 |
| Care plan meeting** | $15 per 5-minute increment |
These fees apply to all treatments administered on or after April 1, 2020, regardless of the date of the accident that caused the injury.
*The initial visit fee includes the assessment and standard treatment provided that day. A standard visit is not to be charged for the date the initial visit took place.
**Care plan meetings must be initiated, approved, scheduled and facilitated by a Customer Recovery Specialist for the purpose of aligning goals, objectives and overall medical case management of a shared patient. They cannot be used to invoice for time spent discussing a shared patient or general correspondence, where the Customer Recovery Specialist has not scheduled the call and is not present for the meeting. Time spent by the health care provider in preparation for the care plan meeting is not billable.
Notes
- ICBC customers who choose to visit a health care provider that charges a higher rate than what ICBC funds will not be able to recover the user fees from ICBC for claims with an accident date on or after April 1, 2019. The patient is responsible for paying the user fee portion, which they may submit to their private health insurer for consideration of coverage.
- Treatments are based on sessions provided and fees reflect fair market rate for a standard industry visit. Treatment frequency will be based on clinical recommendations and should reflect best practice.
- Multiple sessions provided by the same discipline, on the same day, will not be funded.
- In the case of a no-show, the clinic’s no-show and cancellation policies should apply. ICBC will not pay for no-show appointments.
X-ray fee schedule
X-rays must be performed only as required following evidence-informed practice, for the purposes of diagnosis.
| Descriptor | Payment criteria | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Cervical spine | 4 views or less | $72.10 |
| Cervical spine | Davis series | $98.20 |
| Thoracic spine | 4 views or less | $72.10 |
| Lumbar spine | 4 views or less | $72.10 |
| Additional films | Any one film, any area in addition to the four or less series (does not apply to combined series) | $13.20 |
| Any combined series | | $144.10 |
| Extremities | | $72.10 |
| Reading fee (when film is provided by outside source) | Any one area | $24.80 |
| Reading fee | Two or more areas | $40.80 |
| Reading fee | Three or more views | $52.50 |
| Reading fee | Extremities – minimum two views (extremeties are articulations other than the spine, such as knees, elbows an shoulders) | $40 |
Report templates
You can find out more information about submitting reports and report templates on the Reports page.
Contact & support
Visit the Support and resources page.