Before you can provide physical therapy services to WCB clients and bill the WCB directly for those services, you must be accredited by the WCB.
Accreditation
WCB Standards and Requirements
Authorization to treat
Treatment
Reporting
Billing
Payments
Accreditation
To apply for accreditation with the WCB:
- Read the WCB Physical Therapy Practise Standards carefully;
- Complete the Accreditation Request - Primary Level Services form, print and sign it;
- Attach evidence of your educational credentials;
- Attach evidence of current licensure with your licensing body;
- Attach evidence of additional educational credentials if you are applying for aerobic assessment and treatment accreditation; and
- Make sure all documentation is included and mail to the WCB.
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 WCB Physical Therapy Practise Standards;
- 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, you must submit a separate accreditation request if you add a clinic to your portfolio or if a clinic changes location. The WCB can not issue payment for care at a clinic where the provider is not accredited prior to that 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 WCB Physical Therapy Practise Standards; and WCB Billing and Reporting requirements;
- Comply with the practice standards and fee schedule established by the WCB with your professional group and all requirements of your licensing body;
- 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. This allows the worker to 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
Physical Therapy Practise Standards 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
Your physiotherapy license includes a direct access provision, therefore you can treat clients without referral by a licensed provider. However, within three days of commencing treatment, you need to send in an
Physiotherapist's Initial Report (PTI) form detailing your initial findings. The WCB will contact you if funding cannot be granted and will pay for services to the date of that advice. See
PTI User Manual.
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.
Reporting
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 and regular 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.
Use the following forms to provide information about treatment, functional recovery, and response to treatment. Please fill out reports completely and legibly and fax them to WCB as quickly as possible. The WCB can not pay for illegible or incomplete reports.
- Functional Outcome Measures (FOM)
Administer the appropriate Functional Outcome Measures self report tests to WCB clients as soon as possible to help identify those who may be at risk for prolonger recovery and who would benefit from more intensive treatment. These tests include:
Only the client's FOM score should be submitted to the WCB, not the form itself. The score is to be reported on the Physiotherapist's Initial Report below.
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Physiotherapist's Initial Report
You are required to submit a Physiotherapist's Initial Report (PTI), including the appropriate FOM score, for all injuries, including those that do not result in time off work. Where the injured worker loses time from work because of an injury, the PTI provides confirmation of disability, which allows the WCB to arrange timely payment of benefits to injured workers. Prompt reporting is important to prevent financial hardship for the injured worker and family. See PTI User Manual.
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Progress and Discharge Reports
A Physiotherapist's Progress/Discharge Report (PTP), including the appropriate FOM score, should be completed after each block of 10 treatments unless the worker has been discharged, in which case, the PTP should be completed within 7 days. See PTP User Manual.
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Return to Work Report
Once a return-to-work plan has been agreed upon, the physiotherapist will submit a Practitioner's Return to Work Report (PRTW) to the WCB with copies to the primary care provider, the employer and worker to confirm the hours of worker and restrictions.
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Other Reports
Copies of special reports - diagnostic, operative, etc. - should always be forwarded to the WCB. They provide the WCB with relevant information, and save the attending practitioner from preparing a separate report.
Reporting Schedule - Physiotherapists report after every 10 treatment using the forms listed above. Failure to report can seriously delay an injured worker's claims process and may result in delays or non-payment to the provider.
Reporting fees are paid by the WCB when the care provider invoices the appropriate
fee. If more than one report is received in the same day, only one report fee is paid.
There is a two-tier fee for PTI and PTP reports: one for reports that include FOM scores and a lower fee for those that do not include the scores.
Billing
To prevent financial hardship for 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.
You are responsible for confirming in advance that the WCB will fund treatment for a client according to the standards of care for your profession. Do not rely on the client for this information because they may confuse their receipt of a claim number with a commitment by the WCB to pay for their treatment.
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 Physiotherapist's Billing (PHYS) 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 by your professional association;
- Forward the completed PHYS form to the WCB;
- Use the PHYS form to make adjustments to previous billing periods. 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 those payments. These vouchers may include
explanatory codes to provide detail regarding specific services.
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.
Disallowed Claims
When an injury claim has been disallowed or benefits terminated, physical 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.
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
