Proudly Serving Richmond, Burnaby,
Vancouver and nearby areas since 1998.
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday
Closed
If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle crash in BC, registered massage therapy (RMT) may be available through ICBC as part of your recovery. Under ICBC’s Enhanced Care model, RMT is one of the treatment services that may be pre-approved during the first 12 weeks following a crash.
You generally do not need a doctor’s referral to access pre-approved ICBC RMT treatment. Once you have filed an ICBC claim and received a claim number, you can connect with a registered massage therapist to begin treatment.
In this article, we will discuss how ICBC RMT coverage works, how RMT compares with physiotherapy, how to book an appointment with Evolve Therapeutic, and what happens if you still need treatment after the initial 12-week period.
ICBC Enhanced Care provides pre-approved treatment for certain crash-related injuries during the first 12 weeks following a motor vehicle accident.
Registered massage therapy is one of the treatment types available under this program. For the current ICBC fee schedule, ICBC covers $107 per RMT session for treatment sessions of at least 45 minutes, with up to 12 pre-approved RMT visits during the first 12 weeks following the crash. (This rate is subject to change).
The 12-week period begins on the date of the crash, rather than the date of your first appointment.
One of the benefits of pre-approved treatment is that you do not have to wait for individual approval from an ICBC representative before beginning care. Once your claim has been established, your RMT can help determine whether your treatment falls within the available ICBC coverage.
At Evolve Therapeutic, our team can help you understand the process and answer questions about ICBC billing before your appointment.
ICBC's standard RMT coverage is based on a minimum 45-minute treatment session. If you choose a longer appointment, such as 60 or 90 minutes, there may be an additional fee for the portion of treatment that is not covered by ICBC.
Any applicable fees should be discussed with you before treatment so you understand your potential out-of-pocket costs.
Booking an ICBC RMT appointment after a motor vehicle crash can be straightforward.
When contacting Evolve Therapeutic, having the following information available can help us get your appointment set up:
You generally do not need a doctor's referral for pre-approved ICBC RMT treatment.
Before your first treatment, your RMT will ask questions about the accident, your symptoms and how your injuries are affecting your everyday activities. This helps your RMT therapist understand your current condition and develop an appropriate treatment approach.
Treatment may include techniques such as soft-tissue therapy, myofascial techniques and other hands-on approaches appropriate for your condition.
If you are also receiving physiotherapy or another form of treatment, let your healthcare providers know. Coordinated care can help ensure that your treatment plan addresses your recovery as a whole.
The first 12 weeks following your crash are important because ICBC provides pre-approved access to several types of treatment during this period.
For RMT, the current pre-approved allotment is 12 visits within the first 12 weeks.
Remember that the 12-week period starts on the date of your accident. It does not restart when you attend your first massage therapy appointment.
Pre-approved treatment is intended for injuries related to the motor vehicle crash. It is not intended for general wellness massage or treatment for an unrelated condition.
Your RMT will assess your condition and document the relationship between your symptoms, your injury and your treatment.
Depending on your circumstances, ICBC's pre-approved RMT coverage may not cover:
If you are unsure whether a particular appointment or service is covered, speak with Evolve Therapeutic before booking. We can help clarify what you should expect to pay.
The end of the initial 12-week period does not necessarily mean that your treatment has to stop.
If you are still experiencing symptoms or functional limitations after 12 weeks, your healthcare provider may be able to request additional treatment through ICBC.
An extension request typically requires clinical information explaining why continued treatment is appropriate. Your RMT may document your progress, remaining symptoms, functional limitations and the reasons additional treatment may help support your recovery.
It is a good idea to discuss your recovery with your healthcare provider before the initial 12-week period ends. This gives your clinician time to assess your progress and determine whether additional treatment may be appropriate.
Additional treatment is not automatically guaranteed. ICBC reviews extension requests based on the circumstances of the individual claim.
ICBC's Enhanced Care model provides pre-approved treatment for eligible crash-related injuries. RMT is one of the treatment options available during the initial 12-week period.
The treatment must be related to injuries resulting from the motor vehicle crash. General wellness massage or treatment for unrelated conditions is not considered crash-related care.
Generally, no. A doctor's referral is not required to access pre-approved RMT treatment under ICBC's Enhanced Care model.
You will need to provide your ICBC claim information so your RMT can determine how to proceed with billing and treatment.
Under the current ICBC fee schedule, 12 RMT visits are pre-approved during the first 12 weeks following a motor vehicle crash. This schedule may change in the future.
Treatment limits and fees can change, so check the current ICBC information or speak with your healthcare provider for the most up-to-date details.
ICBC's standard RMT fee is based on a minimum 45-minute treatment session. If you choose a longer appointment, there may be an additional fee for treatment time beyond the amount covered by ICBC. This arrangement may change in the future.
Ask Evolve Therapeutic about applicable fees when booking your appointment.
If ICBC is paying for a treatment session, you generally cannot submit the same session to your extended health benefits for additional reimbursement.
However, your extended health plan may cover RMT treatment that falls outside your ICBC coverage, depending on the terms of your plan.
If you're unsure how your benefits work together, contact your extended health provider directly.
Yes. Physiotherapy and RMT have separate pre-approved treatment allotments under ICBC's Enhanced Care model.
Depending on your injuries and treatment needs, your healthcare providers may recommend using both forms of treatment as part of your recovery.
If you've been injured in a motor vehicle crash, you don't have to navigate your recovery on your own.
The team at Evolve Therapeutic can help you understand your treatment options and get started with registered massage therapy under ICBC.
Contact Evolve Therapeutic to book an ICBC RMT appointment or speak with our team about your claim.
Proudly Serving Richmond, Burnaby,
Vancouver and nearby areas since 1998.
Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Saturday
9:00 am - 5:30 pm
Sunday
Closed