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WorkSafeBC

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Massage therapists and WorkSafeBC

WorkSafeBC recognizes massage as a valid form of therapy for injured workers suffering from certain types of work-related injuries. Qualified therapists recognized by the College of Massage Therapists of British Columbia are permitted to treat injured workers, as outlined in the memorandum of agreement between the association and WorkSafeBC. Be aware that treatment is limited to active therapy and massage only.

A Memorandum of Agreement for Massage Therapy Services exists for all Registered Massage Therapists (RMT) wishing to treat WorkSafeBC injured workers. Massage Therapists are not required to sign this Agreement. All Massage Therapists providing treatment to injured workers are deemed to have accepted the terms of the Massage Therapy Services Memorandum of Agreement, regardless of their status with the Massage Therapy Association of British Columbia. Massage Therapists not wishing to accept the terms of the Agreement should not provide treatment to injured workers.

Referral process
Duration of standard treatment
Treatment Session Length
Extended treatment
Fee schedule
Billing WorkSafeBC
Reports
Concurrent treatment
Invoice codes
Teleclaim
Bulletins

Referral process

Before an injured worker can see a massage therapist, the following must be obtained:

  • a referral from the worker's doctor, and
  • approval from a WorkSafeBC claim owner unless treatments occur within eight weeks of the date of injury

Duration of standard treatment

Injured workers with an accepted claim and a physician’s referral are eligible for five weeks of therapy with a maximum of three visits per week. Treatment is limited to one massage treatment per day. Claim owner approval is required for any treatments that occur eight weeks after the date of injury.

Treatment Session Length

There are no “per session” treatment durations prescribed; rather, the length of each session is up to the clinical discretion of the RMT.

Extended treatment

Treatment over five weeks in duration requires approval from the worker's claim owner.

Fee schedule

To bill WorkSafeBC for your services, include only those fee items outlined in Schedule B of the Agreement.

Billing WorkSafeBC

A RMT must NOT bill for treating an injured worker with an accepted claim.  If this has occurred, the RMT will be asked to reimburse the worker and then invoice WorkSafeBC directly for the services provided under the Agreement.

Reports

Reports are required after the initial visit and after the first five weeks of treatment if the therapist is requesting an extension of the treatment duration. RMTs should use Form 83D51 "Generic Report - Medical and Health Care" to submit a report.

Concurrent treatment

Generally, injured workers should receive treatment from only one medical or rehabilitation service provider at a time. This means that workers who are receiving massage therapy should not be receiving physiotherapy and/or other types of treatment at the same time. For more information, see Section 72.00 in Chapter 10 (PDF 180kb) of the Rehabilitation Services and Claims Manual.

Invoice codes

WorkSafeBC has adopted a subset of the Canadian Standard Association (CSA) injury codes. This is important for case management and early intervention. Use these codes in your invoice.

Teleclaim now open until 6:00 p.m.

The next time you refer one of your patients to the Teleclaim Contact Centre, let them know we’ve extended the operating hours in Teleclaim from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 pm., to 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Bulletins

 

 

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