ICBC update & upcoming webinar

ICBC Service Level Agreement Renewal Time

The Performance Standards for occupational therapists have been updated and will take effect February 15, 2022. Approved OTs and Firms who would like to remain on the ICBC Approved OT List must renew their application by January 15, 2022. An email has been distributed to Approved OTs and Firms currently on the ICBC Approved OT List. The full announcement can be seen here.

Webinar: Changes to Occupational Therapy Performance Standards

To share the key changes to the Occupational Therapy Performance Standards, ICBC will be hosting a webinar for occupational therapists and Firms on January 11, 2022 at noon. To ensure we can accommodate everyone who is interested, we encourage you to sign up as soon as possible.

Date: Tues, January 11, 2022

Time: 12:00-1:00PM

Registration: Click here to register

 

ICBC update: Enhanced Care

As ICBC has now entered their sixth month with Enhanced Care, they are offering an Enhanced Care Refresher to health care providers and are looking for feedback on the process. 

Enhanced Care Refresher Webinar: these discipline-specific webinars will discuss what Enhanced Care means for you, provide an overview of Enhanced Care benefits, outline the process for interacting with ICBC, and address frequently asked questions.

ICBC Vendor Number webinar: this webinar is open to all administrators and health care providers who treat ICBC customers, regardless of whether they already have a vendor number. They will provide information on applying for and updating an ICBC Vendor Number as well as addressing questions that they have received with the process.

Please submit questions about ICBC Enhanced Care, treating ICBC customers, or interacting with ICBC in advance of the webinars to your professional association or by using the: Health Care Provider Feedback form. They will consolidate the questions into themes and address these in the webinars.

Please see the dates and times as follows:

Enhanced Care for Occupational Therapists	ICBC Vendor Number Webinar
Date: Thurs Nov 25, 2021 Time: 12:00 – 1:00PM Registration: Click here to register	Date: Thurs Dec 2, 2021 Time: 12:00 – 1:00PM Registration: Click here to register

Registration links for the webinars are also accessible from the latest news section on the Health services page.

If you are not able to join, they will also be recording the presentations and posting them on the Health Services Website.

 

Update from ICBC: COVID-19 measures

The provincial government has announced the plan to restart the BC economy, including restoring health services from mid-May onwards. The temporary measures that ICBC has implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as telehealth policies and the extension of the pre-authorized treatment period, continue to apply until further notice. Please continue to visit our COVID-19 page for the most up to date information.

If you have ICBC approval for treatment, please continue to treat your clients according to the provincial government and your college’s guidelines. Separate approval is not required if you are transitioning a client from a telehealth medium to in-person sessions.  

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Update from ICBC

COVID 19 UPDATE | Extension of pre-authorized period

The pre-authorized treatment period has now been extended to July 31, 2020, or 12 weeks from the date of the crash causing the injury, whichever is later. Please refer to the General FAQ for more information. ICBC continues to follow the advice from provincial and federal health authorities to ensure the health and safety of our customers, partners and employees. We will continue to keep you updated as the situation evolves.

NEW | COVID-19 website

A dedicated COVID-19 partners' page has been created for our stakeholders and business partners. The ‘Health Services’ accordion contains telehealth policies, FAQs and other relevant information. This website will be updated with the latest information as soon as it becomes available. We encourage you to check this site regularly.

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Update from ICBC

Medical Equipment Master Standing Agreement (MSA) reminder

Thank you to those of you who have been using the Equipment MSA when providing care for ICBC’s customers. For those of who have not been using the Equipment MSA, please remember that Occupational Therapists (OTs) who are on ICBC’s approved list of OTs should be recommending items from the Medical Equipment MSA prior to accessing other sources. ICBC participates in the Equipment MSA that is procured by the government of British Columbia, which allows the purchase or rental of durable medical and rehabilitation equipment from approved suppliers.

Medical Equipment MSA update

The most updated Equipment MSA list can be found on the Province of British Columbia’s website. This website contains the following information:

• List of providers, categorized by regions
• Devices and equipment available for purchase 

ICBC’s Business Partners page will be updated within a couple weeks to include a link to this website.

Medical Equipment MSA FAQs

Do I have to request approval for medical equipment orders?

Once an Occupational Therapist has been assigned to a customer, ICBC pre-authorizes the assigned OTs to rent/purchase medical equipment from an approved medical equipment supplier as long as the spending limit is less than $2,000 and within the 90-day authorization period.

What if I found a cheaper alternative from a different vendor?

Whenever possible, medical equipment should be ordered from the Medical Equipment MSA or where necessary, another reputable vendor. This ensures that equipment durability, maintenance and where required, returns, can be processed in an efficient and inexpensive way. ICBC does not bear the costs of equipment returns. If a customer selects a non-ICBC approved medical equipment supplier, the OT must request prior approval from the claims specialist or recovery specialist for the purchase amount.

Invoicing update for Occupational Therapists

Effective December 1, 2019, parking and gym fees for Occupational Therapists will be discontinued. The line item for gym fees will continue to be available on the Health Care Provider Invoicing and Reporting (HCPIR) application. This line item should only be used to submit an invoice for gym fees incurred by or for the customer. A proof of purchase, such as a receipt, is required upon request. Please note that this line item should not be used to invoice gym fees incurred by the Occupational Therapists themselves.

To facilitate your invoicing experience, an invoicing line item guide has been developed. This guide will be available at the bottom of the Occupational Therapists page on ICBC’s Business Partners page by mid-November. We encourage you to bookmark this page as a resource.  

Patient consent clarification reminder

It is important to discuss with your patient the purpose of the initial or reassessment report and ensure that you have received their consent to share the report with ICBC, consistent with your consent and information sharing guidelines. For more information, review our Patient consent considerations.

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. When ICBC provides Occupational Therapists with a formal request letter, the Insurance (Vehicle) Act requires the OT to provide ICBC with reports containing medical information, to the extent that the information is known by the health care practitioner.

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Update from ICBC

Invoicing reminder

Please note that invoices are to be submitted after you have seen your patient and not before. This will avoid the need to process a reversal if the patient does not attend their appointment. Invoicing prior to appointment completion may result in delayed payment and challenges with reconciliation.

Lock feature coming soon!

Information privacy and security remain a top priority for ICBC. ICBC is pleased to inform you that we are responding to your request to add a “lock” feature to reports. Report templates will soon have the option to permanently lock editing on completed reports. We will notify you once this function is available.

HCPIR enhancements coming soon!

To improve your user experience, we are introducing updates to the HCPIR application. Along with the application changes, an updated HCPIR application checklist will be also be available with helpful tips and key steps. We will notify you once these changes are in effect.

How ICBC is supporting you

For more information, 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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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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ICBC Update

Changes to ICBC are now in effect

To improve the auto insurance system in B.C., as of April 1, anyone injured in a crash will have access to significantly improved benefits to support their care and recovery.

As a health care provider, here are the key things to know with these changes in effect.

New invoicing and reporting processes

The Health Care Provider Invoicing and Reporting (HCPIR) application is now available for invoicing on all treatments delivered on or after April 1 for ICBC patients. For demonstration videos and job aids on how to use this application, visit the Support and Resources page.

The new report templates are available for completion through the Reports page. Report completion guides are being created and will be available shortly to assist you.  

Note: ICBC will continue to accept previous invoicing methods while you transition to the new application. However for faster processing, we encourage you to use the HCPIR which has a 7-day payment cycle.

Treatment Fees and Third Party Health Benefits Providers

ICBC is now the primary payer for treatments listed under schedule 3.1 of the regulations. These fees were established by government and represent fair market value for treatment. Fees in excess of the regulated fee (user fees) may be payable by third party health benefits providers. User fees will not be recoverable from ICBC for claims with a date of loss April 1, 2019 or after.

More information and supporting your patients

ICBC is committed to supporting you through the changes, so you can focus on providing the best treatment to your patients.

The ICBC changes to insurance page has been updated with information to better inform you and your patients on the changes. Take a look at the how BC’s health care providers support ICBC customers (VIDEO), the revised ICBC claims information, and download this infographic for an overview of the changes you may wish to provide to your patients.

How we’re supporting you

Our Health Services Business Partners site has been populated with the information you need to know regarding the new processes. As a first resource to find answers to the questions you may have, take a look at these pages at www.icbc.com/partners/health-services

If you have any further questions, the Health Care Inquiry Unit (HCIU) is available to assist you as of April 1, 2019.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm

Lower Mainland: 604-587-7150

Toll free: 1-888-717-7150

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Update from ICBC

Do you have your vendor number?

As of April 1, 2019, ICBC is changing the way you invoice for treatments and submit reports and requests, making it more straightforward through a web-based form.

Invoicing through this form will require you to have a vendor number. The vendor number you use should be the number identifying the clinic or practitioner that is paying you for providing your treatment service.

If you have treated a patient previously who is insured by ICBC, you will find your vendor number on the vendor statement or EFT statement that you received from ICBC.

To apply for your vendor number if you do not already have one, or for more information on processes, please visit the new Invoicing and reporting page on ICBC’s Business Partners page.

ICBC is launching the Health Care Inquiry Unit

To support you on April 1 and onwards, ICBC is creating a Health Care Inquiry Unit, which will be a group that you can call if you have questions relating to treating ICBC customers, policies, or processes. The contact number will be provided April 1^st on the Business Partner page.

More support resources are also being created to help you with the new processes, which will be shared in the coming weeks.

Clarifying information on ICBC changes

You may have heard about a limit on minor injury claims of $5,500. This is for the pain and suffering component of a claim settlement—one small element of the total claim. More details on this and other clarifying information on key questions around the changes can be found in the Health Partners Q&A  document found on ICBC’s Business Partners page.

Coming Soon

In advance of April 1, a Support and Resources page with demonstration videos and a job aid for using the new Healthcare Practitioner Invoicing and Reporting application, in addition to a recording of the webinar held Thursday, March 14, will be available on the Business Partners page.

ICBC would like your feedback

On your first visit to the Business Partners page, you will be asked to take a survey about the site’s usability and content. Please take a few moments to fill out this survey as they would like to hear from you. If you have already completed this survey and have additional comments or questions, you can use the feedback form.

Thank you to those who have taken this survey; your helpful feedback is being addressed.

Site requirements

To ensure you are getting the full functionality of the upgraded Business Partners pages, take a look at the site requirements page.

Hospital Discharge Program (HDP)

The HDP will continue to engage community resources with the support of the provincial hospitals. Please note that there will be no changes to today's process of how the HDP files operate.

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Update from ICBC

New business partner pages

New ICBC business partner pages have gone live to better support you as we move towards the new business processes April 1^st. These pages, which you can find on the left-hand navigation panel on the Health services page, contain specific information for your practitioner group, with the purpose of being a central place to go for all the information you need to know about treatment guidelines, fees and new processes.

Bookmark this page to your browser for easy reference, as we will continue to add additional information as we move closer to April 1^st, and beyond.

We’d like to hear from you

To ensure that we are communicating information to you in the best way possible, we have developed a short exit survey you will find when you visit our partner page. If you have a few minutes, we encourage you to complete this survey so we can ensure you are getting all the information you need and so we can make any improvements to the way we communicate with you.

What’s next?

In addition to the new business partner pages, you can expect to receive more information and resources around invoicing, reporting, vendor number management, and training in the coming weeks.

Should you have any questions or comments in the meantime, we recommend you view our FAQ document or complete our dedicated online feedback form.

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