After a car accident
ICBC physiotherapy in West Vancouver.
Injured in a crash? ICBC pre-approves 25 physiotherapy visits in your first 12 weeks, with no referral needed. Bring your claim number and we bill ICBC directly, so there is nothing to pay upfront for your covered visits.
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What ICBC covers
After a motor vehicle accident in BC, ICBC’s Enhanced Care covers 25 physiotherapy visits in the first 12 weeks for everyone injured, no matter who caused the crash. You do not need a doctor’s note or adjuster approval to begin. All it takes to start is a claim number.
The 12-week window starts on the day of the accident, so the sooner you book, the more of your coverage you actually use, and the better whiplash and soft-tissue injuries respond. If your recovery needs more than the pre-approved visits, we request the extension for you. ICBC also pre-approves a set number of visits for several other treatments, listed below, which we coordinate under one roof.
What ICBC pre-approves, by treatment
Enhanced Care pre-approves a set number of visits for each type of treatment in the first 12 weeks, with no referral and no adjuster approval needed. Because we are multidisciplinary, your physiotherapist can bring more than one of these into a single, coordinated plan.
- Physiotherapy
- 25
- Chiropractic
- 25
- Massage therapy
- 12
- Acupuncture
- 12
- Kinesiology (active rehab)
- 12
- Counselling
- 12
These are the visits ICBC pre-approves up front. If your recovery needs more, your practitioner requests an extension on your behalf, no out-of-pocket guesswork on your end.
How to start
Four steps from accident to treatment. Most patients are in for their first appointment within the week.
Report your crash to ICBC
Open a claim with ICBC by phone or online and you are given a claim number. You can do this yourself; you do not need a lawyer or a doctor to start.
Book your physiotherapy
Call either clinic or book online. No doctor’s referral is required, and you do not need to wait for an adjuster to approve anything first.
Bring your claim number
Bring your ICBC claim number and the date of the accident to your first visit. That is all we need to bill ICBC directly.
Start treatment the same day
Your physiotherapist assesses the injury, explains what they have found, and begins treatment in the first session. We handle the ICBC paperwork from there.
- How many physiotherapy visits does ICBC cover?
- ICBC pre-approves 25 physiotherapy visits in the first 12 weeks after a crash, for anyone injured in a motor vehicle accident in BC, regardless of who was at fault. If you need more treatment beyond that, your physiotherapist requests an extension on your behalf.
- Do I need a doctor’s referral to start ICBC physiotherapy?
- No. Under ICBC’s Enhanced Care, you can start physiotherapy with just your claim number, without a doctor’s referral and without waiting for adjuster approval. The 12-week window starts from the date of the accident, so it is worth booking early.
- Will I have to pay anything upfront?
- No. We bill ICBC directly for your covered visits, so there is nothing to pay upfront for the covered portion. Bring your claim number to your first visit and we take care of the billing.
- How soon after my accident should I start?
- As soon as you can. The 25 pre-approved visits sit inside a 12-week window that begins on the day of the crash, and soft-tissue injuries like whiplash respond better to early, guided movement than to rest. Booking in the first week or two gives you the most benefit from your coverage.
- What injuries do you treat after a car accident?
- Most commonly whiplash and neck pain, back pain, headaches, and soft-tissue strains to the shoulder, knee, or other joints. We assess what is actually injured, treat the pain, and rebuild the strength and movement so the problem does not linger or return.
- Can I also get kinesiology or other treatment under my claim?
- Often, yes. Alongside physiotherapy, ICBC pre-approves visits for chiropractic, massage therapy, acupuncture, kinesiology (active rehab), and counselling, each with its own visit limit in the first 12 weeks. Because we are multidisciplinary, your physiotherapist can bring the right ones into one coordinated plan rather than sending you to separate clinics.
“I visited Azalea with my chronic pain. She was able to diagnose the cause, and with the correct treatments my 5-year lasting pain was gone. Her knowledge and experience are outstanding.”
Start your ICBC recovery this week.
Bring your claim number, we handle the rest. No referral, nothing to pay upfront for covered visits, and usually an appointment inside the week.
Book onlineor call the clinic closest to you
16th Street (604) 281-3345·Ocean Walk (604) 281-3122