Workers Compensation

PAYMENT

Generally, the Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act 1981 provides for compensation to be paid to injured workers for weekly payments lost during periods of and degrees of unfitness for work, and the reasonable cost of medical related expenses incurred such as:

• Visits to medical practitioners and specialists.
• Treatment and accommodation at a hospital as prescribed by a medical practitioner;
• Emergency transport from an accident scene to the hospital, and where required, from one hospital to another.
• Therapy services such as physiotherapy, chiropractic, podiatry, hydrotherapy, osteopathy, occupational therapy and psychology.
• Pathology, radiology and imaging services required to diagnose and manage injuries.
• Medicine prescribed by a medical practitioner and provided by a pharmacist.
• Teeth to be restored if they were damaged in a work related accident.
• Hire or purchase of equipment that a medical practitioner recommends for injury management, such as a wheelchair and crutches.
• Reasonable costs associated with travelling to and from appointments.

If you're eligible for weekly payments, your employer will pay you as normal and seek reimbursement from the Insurance Commission.

If you have used sick leave while waiting for a decision on your claim this will be credited back to you.

Contact your employer if you have any questions about how your weekly payments are calculated.

TREATMENT RATES

WorkCover WA sets out the fees for treatment provided by allied health providers. We will generally only pay medical accounts up to the medical and allied health provider rates set by WorkCover WA. If a provider charges more than this rate, claimants may be responsible for the extra portion of the account (the ‘gap’).

REIMBURSEMENT

It is recommended to seek early treatment when you have an injury, regardless of the status of your claim, as it has been proven to help with recovery.

Most payments can only be made when a claim has been approved so if your claim has been deferred, speak to your treatment provider about any out-of-pocket fees.

You may be eligible for provisional payments for income and/or medical and health expenses if a decision has not been made about your claim in 28 days. In these cases, your claims officer will advise you of your eligibility and provide more information on provisional payments.

Once a claim is approved, the Insurance Commission will cover any reasonable treatments related to your injury. For claims that have been declined, it will remain your responsibility to seek and pay for your treatment.

If you have any out-of-pocket expenses, you can request a reimbursement through the online portal. You will be prompted to upload any receipts and provide your bank details for payments to be made.

INJURY MANAGEMENT

You will be supported to return to work by your employer, your GP and your claims officer.  This may include a graduated return to work with restrictions on your duties and/or hours.

Injury management benefits the employee and the agency.  Early and active management of the injury will assist the return of the employee to work sooner, reducing costs and increasing efficiencies.

Injury management commences following the incident and involves a number of stages, including first aid, initial medical treatment and return to work activities.

For your employer, it includes:

• making reasonable adjustments,
• modifying the workplace,
• providing aids and appliances, or
• accommodating suitable or alternate duties.

The employee, the employer and the treating medical practitioner must work together through the stages of injury management.

The employer must prepare a suitable return to work program based on the advice of the medical practitioner.  It is important that you keep us updated on return to work programs for all workers' compensation claims.

In some circumstances assistance from an approved workplace rehabilitation provider is necessary. They provide assistance to employees to remain in or return to suitable work. Services include case management, work site assessment, vocational assessment and job placement and functional capacity evaluation. Specific services can also be provided.