Update from ICBC

Wayne Tang addresses your questions regarding the Customer Recovery team

Invoicing and reporting FAQ

More than 50% of the inquiries to the Health Care Inquiry Unit since April 1 have been regarding invoicing and reporting.

To help address these questions, ICBC has created an Invoicing and reporting  FAQ document, which also addresses the questions that arose in the webinars. Questions answered include:

• How do we handle obtaining patient consent and sharing reports with ICBC?
• Is tax applied for invoicing?  
• How will I know when invoices have been paid?

Patient consent clarification

ICBC has been made aware that some stakeholder groups have received information citing restrictions for health care providers in giving patient information to ICBC representatives. Please be aware that it is ICBC’s position that the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) does not override the Insurance (Vehicle) Act or its Regulation.

While it is always preferred to receive information with client consent, there is a provision in PIPA, s. 18(1)(o), that allows disclosure of information without consent if the disclosure is required or authorized by law. The Insurance (Vehicle) Act requires health care practitioners, upon request, to provide ICBC with reports containing medical information, to the extent that the information is known by the health care practitioner. Therefore, it is ICBC’s position that the provision of the information is required by law, and PIPA allows disclosure of medical information for the purposes set out in the Insurance (Vehicle) Act. 

ICBC is here to help. Providing the best possible care for your patients remains ICBC’s top priority. As such, a patient consent considerations document has been created to outline some of the consent considerations that may arise related to ICBC reports in your practice. For further support, please consult your regulatory college or association.

Regulation amendment on receipt submission timeline

The B.C. government recently announced amendments to the Insurance (Vehicle) Regulation, which establishes a 60-day time limit for submitting receipts for medical care or rehabilitation expenses to ICBC.

The new limit gives a reasonable amount of time to submit receipts while ensuring ICBC receives the information it needs to accurately assess the severity of claims, provide additional support to injured people, as needed, and better forecast future costs. Exceptions may be allowed in cases where people cannot meet the deadline due to the nature of their injuries or other factors which would constitute a reasonable excuse.

Health Care Provider Invoicing and Reporting (HCPIR) application

Since April 1, ICBC has had over 25,000 invoices successfully submitted via the HCPIR application.

To apply for a vendor number, submit an invoice or report, and learn how to use the HCPIR application, visit ICBC’s invoicing and reporting and support and resources pages.

How ICBC is supporting you

As a first resource to find answers to your questions, visit ICBC’s Health Services Business Partners site at www.icbc.com/partners/health-services. If you have any further questions, the Health Care Inquiry Unit (HCIU) is available to assist you Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm

Lower Mainland: 604-587-7150 Toll free: 1-888-717-7150

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