Does TAC cover remedial massage?
Once you have an accepted TAC claim, TAC will be required to pay you for the reasonable cost of any medical and like expenses related to the treatment of any injuries you suffered in the accident.
A common treatment that people often want to attain for injuries is massage.
The TAC will pay for remedial massage treatment.
However, the TAC guidelines state that they will only pay for massage therapy when it is performed by a registered physiotherapist, chiropractor, or osteopath.
This means that if you try and obtain payment for massage treatment performed by a remedial masseur or say a Myotherapist, the TAC are very likely to refuse to pay for this treatment.
However, if the TAC does refuse to pay for the cost of massage treatment
Do I need approval from the TAC for massage treatment?
Yes, you do need approval from the TAC before you can obtain payment for massage treatment.
What you should do to obtain approval is to attend a treatment session with your chosen provider and then ask your provider to complete a treatment plan or alternatively to send a written request outlining why you need to treatment for your injuries, to the TAC.
Ensure that any correspondence that is sent to the TAC your claim number is listed.
Once the request has gone to the TAC ensure that you follow them up if you haven’t heard from them within a reasonable amount of time.
How much will the TAC pay for massage treatment?
As of 1 July 2021 will pay a maximum rate of $43.41 for massage treatment which involves 30 minutes of direct contact time.
What if the TAC don’t pay for massage treatment?
If the TAC make a decision not to pay for massage treatment for you, then you should read this page if you wish to contest that decision.
The first step in appealing the decision is to ask the TAC to perform an internal review or if you have a lawyer, ask your lawyer to lodge a dispute application on your behalf.
If the matter still doesn’t resolve you can pursue the matter to VCAT and if you want to do this we would recommend that you have a lawyer to represent you.
Medical service or rehabilitation service?
The TAC refuse to pay for massage treatment that isn’t provided by a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath because it doesn’t fall within the definition of a ‘medical service.’
However, in some cases it might be possible to argue that such treatment falls under the definition of ‘rehabilitation service’ in which case the TAC may be required to pay for the treatment, even if it isn’t provided by a physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath.
Conclusion
Yes, the TAC will in some instances pay for the cost of remedial massage treatment after an accident.
However, the TAC guidelines state that they will only pay for massage treatment if it is provided by a registered physiotherapist, chiropractor or osteopath and not a remedial masseuse or Myotherapist.
Before you can obtain payment from the TAC for massage treatment you will need to get approval from the TAC for the treatment first.
If you believe that you are entitled to the payment of massage related costs which the TAC are not paying, then you contest their decision not to pay.
