Before you can provide massage therapy services to WCB clients and bill the WCB directly for those services, you must:
- be accredited by the WCB;
- have a referral from a licensed practitioner (physician, chiropractor or physiotherapist); and
- have a written authorization to treat from the client's WCB representative.
Accreditation
WCB Standards and Requirements
Authorization to treat
Treatment
Billing
Payments
Reporting
Accreditation
To apply for accreditation with the WCB:
- Read the Practice Standards for Massage Therapy Service Providers carefully;
- Complete, print and sign the Accreditation Request form;
- Attach evidence of your educational credentials;
- Attach evidence of current registration with the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan, and
- Mail this information to the WCB's Health Care Services department at address on the form.
Please note: The WCB can not process incomplete applications.
The WCB's Health Care Services department will:
- Review your credentials against the requirement listed in the Practice Standards for Massage Therapy Service Providers;
- Add your name to the WCB's Approved Providers List, if you are eligible;
- Notify you by mail as to whether your accreditation request has been accepted or rejected; and
- Provide you with a WCB billing number by mail.
Accreditation is non-transferable
The WCB will accredit you for work in all the clinics you list on your application. However, if you add a clinic to your portfolio, you must submit a separate accreditation request. The WCB can not issue payment for care at a clinic if either the rovider or clinic is not accredited prior to care being provided.
WCB Standards and Requirements
When treating WCB clients, health care providers assume certain
roles and responsibilities.
The WCB relies on all health care providers to ensure that:
- all workplace injuries requiring medical aid are reported promptly;
- all treatment is necessary and consistent with established agreements; and
- all invoices are appropriate. More
When treating WCB clients, the WCB asks that you:
- Familiarize yourself with the contents of the Practice Standards for Massage Therapy Service Providers, and WCB Billing and Reporting requirements;
- Obtain prior authorization to treat WCB clients on a file-by-file basis;
- Comply with the practice standards and fee schedule established for your professional group;
- Demonstrate ethical practice standards on a day-to-day basis, including disclosure to any perspective WCB client of any business relationship you may have with their employer so the worker can make an informed decision regarding their choice of care provider; and
- Refrain from using your affiliation with the WCB in any advertising for your services.
Compliance Surveys
To ensure that WCB
Practice Standards for Massage Therapy Service Providers are being followed, compliance surveys may be conducted. Treatment centres, clinics and individual practitioners will be notified two weeks before they are to be surveyed and can prepare for the survey by reviewing the
survey form and
guidelines in advance. Surveys take approximately 1.5 hours and will be conducted by massage therapists, and/or WCB representatives.
Authorization to Treat
Massage therapists are responsible for confirming in advance that the WCB will fund treatment for clients, on a file-by-file basis.
Authorization to treat consists of:
- Referral by a licensed practitioner (physician, chiropractor or physiotherapist) who identifies the goals and objectives of treatment;
- Faxing a Primary Authorization to Treat (MCARE) form to the client's WCB representative. If treatment is authorized, the representative will sign the form and fax it back.
- If this approval is not received prior to treatment, services provided may not be paid for by the WCB; and
- If a claim is subsequently denied following approval for treatment, the WCB will be responsible for payment for services to the date of advice.
Don't rely on the client for authorization because they may confuse their receipt of a claim number with a commitment by the WCB to pay for their treatment.
Treatment
If the injured worker's recovery does not progress, contact the worker's primary care provider who can request advanced
assessment and treatment, or
expedited appointments, if required. See also
Disability Duration Guidelines.
Return to work should generally be part of each worker's treatment plan. For more information, see our
Recovery and Return to Work brochure.
Billing
To prevent financial hardship to a WCB client, you should bill the WCB directly for services provided. To direct bill, you require a WCB billing number, which will be issued to you once your accreditation application has been approved. The WCB will not pay for treatment provided prior to your accreditation date or for treatment provided at a clinic for which you have not been accredited.
To expedite payment for services:
- Retain your daily record of the services you provide to our clients in case an audit is required;
- Summarize all services provided during the billing period using the Therapist's Billing (THER) form. Provide all information requested: the appropriate billing period, fee codes and caregiver number, etc. Please note: The WCB can not process incomplete invoices. They will be returned unpaid for resubmission;
- Follow the fee schedule agreed to your professional association and the WCB;
- Forward the completed THER form to the WCB. See sample. If you prefer to use a different format, make sure to include all the information requested on the sample;
- Adjustments to previous billing periods are also to be made using the THER form. See sample.
- Apply to receive your payments by electronic transfer. See Direct Deposit section below; and
- You are encouraged to register for a secure @WCB e-business account. This account allows you to view your business transactions online at your convenience.
Payments
The WCB issues payment to caregivers weekly and provides vouchers detailing the payments that were issued. These vouchers may include
explanatory codes to provide detail regarding specific services.
Disallowed Claims
Where an injury claim has been disallowed or benefits terminated, massage therapists will be notified that the WCB cannot pay for further assessment or treatment. The WCB will only pay for treatment for which authorization was given to date of notice of termination. The WCB will also pay reporting fees to date of notice.
Details of payment are provided weekly to each caregiver, including those on Direct Deposit.
Direct Deposit
Payment by electronic transfer is quick, easy and secure. To apply to have all payments from the WCB deposited electronically, complete a
Direct Deposit Application. The WCB can deposit your payment directly into any bank account you specify. If you work out of more than one clinic, each clinic's deposit can be directed to a different bank account, if you wish. Simply complete a separate direct deposit application for each clinic from which you submit WCB claims.
E-Business Transactions
As an accredited WCB care provider, you can access information about your WCB payments through our secure @WCB
Online Services. To use this service, you must first apply for an @WCB e-business account by clicking
here. Read the disclaimer, check the box at the bottom and click "I agree". Provide your email address and a security password.
Once your @WCB account is approved, you can conduct the following secure transactions at your convenience:
- view payment history;
- view file information about clients the WCB has referred to you;
- update treatment lists;
- report an injury;
- report injury progress;
- review forms you have submitted; and
- give your billing clerk, accountant or others access to your account.
Clinics may also apply for @WCB secure access to:
- view Voucher Details;
- download Voucher Details; and
- search for cheque information
Reporting Requirements
Duty to Report to the WCB
Under
Section 54-56 of the Saskatchewan Workers' Compensation Act, 1979, care providers are required to provide reports to the WCB and do not require a signed release from the worker to do so. Early, regular and complete care provider reports are important to the worker and the WCB because:
- The WCB requires client medical records to process claims and appeals; and
- The WCB may need to provide copies of reports to other health care providers, i.e., Assessment Teams, Treatment Centres and specialists to assist in obtaining the best possible assessments and treatments for injured workers.
You should advise injured workers that their medical records may be made available to their employers or others if their claims are appealed.
Forms
The TX coded forms are to be used to provide information about treatment, functional recovery, and response to treatment:
Please fill out the TX reports completely and legibly and fax them to WCB as quickly as possible. Please use the general fax number given on the form. Our electronic file system will automatically route the report to the appropriate person.
Reporting Schedule
Massage therapists report every three weeks using the TX forms listed above.
