What you are entitled to
Under ICBC's Enhanced Care coverage, anyone injured in a motor vehicle crash in British Columbia is pre-approved for a set number of treatments with several types of provider, including registered massage therapy. For massage that is 12 sessions within the first 12 weeks of the crash date.
Pre-approved means exactly that. You do not need to wait for an adjuster to authorize treatment, and you do not need a referral from a physician to begin.
What to bring to your first visit
If you do not have your claim number yet, call us anyway. Reporting a crash to ICBC takes a few minutes online or by phone, and our front desk can tell you what you need before you arrive.
- Your ICBC claim number
- Your Personal Health Number (from your BC Services Card)
- The date of the crash
- Any paperwork from your doctor, walk-in clinic or hospital visit
How direct billing works
We submit your treatment directly to ICBC. You do not pay for the covered portion and you do not submit receipts yourself.
ICBC sets the amount it pays per session. Where a clinic's rate is higher than that amount, the difference is a user fee that the patient pays. We confirm the exact amount when you arrive for your appointment, before treatment begins. Many patients have extended health coverage that reimburses the difference.
Your first appointment
The first visit runs longer on assessment than a regular massage appointment. Your therapist asks what happened, how you were seated, where the vehicle was struck, and what you have not been able to do since. We test your movement, note what we find, and write it into your chart — a clear record from visit one is what supports your file if care needs to continue past 12 weeks.
Treatment in the early weeks is usually gentler than patients expect. An acutely injured neck does not respond well to deep pressure, and the goal in the first month is comfortable movement, not intensity.
After the first 12 weeks
Most patients are substantially better within the pre-approved window. If you still have symptoms, treatment can continue with ICBC's approval, and your therapist will provide the clinical information the request needs. We will explain where your file stands rather than leaving you to guess.
If your crash was months ago
The 12-week window applies to pre-approval, not to your right to treatment. Patients often come in later, once the initial soreness has turned into a headache pattern or a stiff neck that has not resolved. Bring your claim number and we will work with ICBC from there.