ICBC Care Coordinator: What Is This Role and Do You Need One?

 
 
 

You're in physio. You're doing massage. You're on a waiting list for acupuncture. Everyone's giving you different advice, and you're not sure how it all fits together or whether you're using your claim efficiently.

This is where a care coordinator comes in. And yes, you probably need one.


What Is an ICBC Care Coordinator?

A care coordinator is a regulated health professional (usually a kinesiologist) who does one thing: orchestrates your recovery.

They assess you early, figure out what's actually limiting your recovery, coordinate all your different therapies so they work together instead of in silos, track your progress, and advocate to ICBC with evidence when you need extensions.

They're not replacing your physio or massage therapist. They're making those therapies work better by ensuring they're coordinated toward a specific goal: getting you back to your life functionally.

If you're recovering from a motor vehicle accident in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, or Port Moody, a care coordinator ensures your treatment plan is strategic from day one.


What Does an ICBC Care Coordinator Do?

Initial assessment: They assess you comprehensively—and they do it first.At Capria Care Collective in Coquitlam, your care coordinator sees you before any other practitioner. They document the full story of your MVA, your injuries, what you've done so far, and what's limiting you functionally. This means you tell the story once. Not to your physiotherapist, then your massage therapist, then your acupuncturist, then your counsellor. Once.

This matters because retelling how your accident happened is often triggering. You shouldn't have to relive the crash every time you see a new provider. And when practitioners don't have access to that documentation (especially if you're seeing people at different clinics), they all ask the same questions. It's redundant, exhausting, and retraumatizing.

When the care coordinator completes your intake, every other practitioner at Capria has access to that standardized documentation. They only ask you questions specific to their discipline and relevant to the care they're providing. Your physiotherapist asks about ROM and movement patterns. Your massage therapist asks about tension and pain. Your counsellor asks about trauma responses. But none of them need to ask you how the accident happened—that's already documented.

Beyond that, the care coordinator assesses functional capacity. Not just ROM and strength like physio, but what you actually can't do. Can you work? Drive? Play with kids? Do stairs? These functional limitations drive their recommendations and shape your entire treatment plan.

  • Treatment coordination: They share your initial assessment with your entire care team. Every practitioner at Capria works from the same documented baseline—they know your injury history, functional limitations, and treatment goals without you having to repeat yourself. From there, the care coordinator talks to your physio, massage therapist, acupuncturist, counselor throughout your recovery. They see everyone's clinical notes. They understand what each provider is doing and how it all connects, and they adjust the plan when needed to keep everything working together.

  • Functional training: They work with you on the movements that matter to your life. If you need to drive, they work on trunk rotation and neck ROM as it relates to driving. If you need to return to work, they address the functional demands of that work. The training is specific to getting you back to doing what you need to do.

  • ICBC advocacy: They know exactly what ICBC wants to see—and they fight for what you need. When you need an extension, they compile the evidence: your progress, objective measures, medical documentation from all your providers. They make the case to ICBC in the language ICBC understands.

  • If ICBC denies your claim or pushes back on an extension request, the care coordinator doesn't accept it and move on. They refute the denial with evidence of why you need continued care. They collaborate with your practitioners to solidify whatever documentation is required and present it to ICBC. They escalate cases to the appropriate level when needed. At Capria, we push for treatment extensions for as long as you need care. We don't back down if a patient needs treatment.

  • Home exercise program: They give you exercises specific to your functional goals and make them fit your life. The exercises connect directly to what you're working toward—driving, working, playing with your kids. Don't have time? They find one high-impact movement you can actually fit into your day and stick with that. They're not going to overload you with exercises if that's not practical. They adapt the program to what works for you, then track your progress throughout your recovery.

  • Progress tracking: Every session builds on what was accomplished in the previous session. They measure ROM, strength, functional capacity, and pain levels consistently. This data proves to ICBC that you're recovering.

Recovery isn't linear. Experience a flare-up or a setback? That's documented too. The care coordinator makes sure all your practitioners know what's happening and what's derailed your progress. ICBC sees it in context. And the treatment plan gets adjusted so you can still make progress toward your goals despite the setback. Setbacks don't mean failure—they mean we fine-tune the approach and keep moving forward.




When Do You Need an ICBC Care Coordinator?

  • When you have multiple providers. If you're seeing physio, massage, acupuncture, counseling, a care coordinator ensures they're working together toward a common goal. If one practitioner is pushing you to achieve more pain-free movement in functional activities—say, your physiotherapist is working on increasing your neck rotation so you can drive safely—your other practitioners step back into a more supportive role. Your massage therapist focuses on recovery. Your acupuncturist supports sleep and pain management. You're not being pushed hard from all directions at once. The coordination ensures you aren't overwhelmed.

  • When recovery is stalling. If you've done 6 weeks of physio and pain isn't improving, a care coordinator figures out why and adjusts the plan.

  • When you need an extension. Care coordinators know the specific evidence ICBC wants. They build the case for your extension.

  • When you have complex injuries. Multi-system injuries (neck and low back, head and body, etc.) benefit from someone who sees the whole picture. The care coordinator understands how your body systems are connected—how your neck tension affects your low back, how your headaches impact your sleep and recovery, how all of it connects. They relay who's working on what with the entire team so everyone understands how their work fits into your overall recovery. No one's treating you in isolation.

  • When you're struggling to stay engaged. If you're canceling appointments or not doing exercises at home, a care coordinator helps you understand why and adjusts the plan to make it attainable and sustainable. Maybe the exercise program is too time-consuming. Maybe appointments are scheduled at times that don't work with your life. Maybe you're in too much pain to follow through. The care coordinator figures out what's actually blocking you and changes the plan so you can stick with it.

  • When you're struggling to stay engaged. If you're canceling appointments or not doing exercises at home, a care coordinator helps you understand why and adjusts the plan to make it attainable and sustainable. Maybe the exercise program is too time-consuming. Maybe appointments are scheduled at times that don't work with your life. Maybe you're in too much pain to follow through. The care coordinator figures out what the barriers to progress are and changes the plan so you can stick with it.

How Care Coordination Speeds Up MVA Recovery

Coordinated care accelerates recovery.

Without a care coordinator: You see physio, massage, acupuncture, counseling. Each practitioner is doing valuable work within their scope, but they're working in silos. No one is paid to communicate across your care team, so it doesn't happen consistently. Progress happens, but it's not strategic.

With a care coordinator: Someone is paid to communicate with all of your practitioners to ensure you get collaborative care. All those providers are working toward the same functional goal. They're informed by each other. Your massage therapist knows your physiotherapist is working on shoulder mobility this week, so they focus on releasing the tissues that will enable that mobility. Your acupuncturist knows you're struggling with sleep, which is slowing tissue recovery, so they prioritize that. Your counselor knows the trauma response is making it hard to engage with treatment, so they address that. Treatment is sequential and strategic.

That's the difference coordination makes: clarity, efficiency, and recovery that's focused on getting you back to your life.

How a Care Coordinator Strengthens Your ICBC Claim

With a care coordinator documenting coordinated care, extension requests are stronger—and denials get challenged.

Without coordination: You request an extension. ICBC sees isolated therapies with no clear connection. Maybe they approve, maybe they deny. If they deny, you're on your own to figure out what to do next.

With coordination: You request an extension. The care coordinator has documented your entire treatment plan, your progress, your setbacks (with context), and how each therapy connects to your functional goals. ICBC sees physio working on pain-free movement for driving, massage enabling that work, acupuncture addressing sleep issues that were slowing recovery, counseling addressing trauma that was blocking engagement, and the care coordinator tracking it all with objective measures. The request is evidence-based and strategic.

If ICBC denies the extension, the care coordinator doesn't accept it. They refute the denial with additional evidence, collaborate with your practitioners to strengthen the case, and escalate if needed. At Capria, we push for treatment extensions for as long as you need care.

Extensions are more likely to be granted, and larger extensions might be approved. Documentation of coordination is valuable to your claim—and so is having someone who fights for you when ICBC pushes back.

 
 


Does ICBC Cover Care Coordination?

A care coordinator's fee is covered by ICBC as part of your treatment benefits—if it's done by a regulated practitioner who is an ICBC-approved provider. At Capria, our care coordinator is a regulated health professional (Kinesiologist) who's already approved to bill ICBC, so the service is reimbursable.

Whether your clinic offers direct billing (you pay a small user fee, ICBC covers the rest) or you pay upfront and get reimbursed depends on the clinic.

But when done by an ICBC-approved provider, care coordination is reimbursed. You're not paying out of pocket for this. It's part of your injury recovery benefits.


What to Look for in an ICBC Care Coordinator

Not all kinesiologists are trained care coordinators. The role requires:

  • Knowledge of ICBC requirements. They understand what ICBC wants to see in treatment plans, extension requests, and documentation.

  • Ability to communicate with multiple providers. They're talking to your physio, your massage therapist, your doctor. They're coordinating across disciplines.

  • Understanding of functional capacity. They assess what you can do in real life: Can you work? Drive? Carry groceries? Play with your kids? They measure how your injuries affect your ability to function, not just clinical measures in isolation.

  • ICBC claim experience. They've written extension requests. They know what works.

  • Collaborative approach. They're not trying to replace other providers; they're enhancing their work.

Our care coordinator at Capria Care Collective in Coquitlam has all of this. They've built the system, know the ICBC process, and coordinate with our full team across the Tri-Cities area.


Do I Need an ICBC Care Coordinator?

Ask yourself:

  • Am I seeing multiple providers? (If yes, coordination streamlines your care and ensures everyone's working together)

  • Is my recovery progressing consistently? (If no, a care coordinator can troubleshoot what's stalling your progress)

  • Am I confused about whether different therapies are working together or against each other? (If yes, coordination simplifies this)

  • Do I have complex or multi-system injuries? (If yes, having someone see the whole picture keeps your treatment strategic)

  • Am I coming up on an extension request? (If yes, a care coordinator who knows how to build the case makes this easier)

If you answered yes to any of these, a care coordinator simplifies your recovery.


Why Coordinated Care Matters for ICBC Claims

Here's the bottom line: recovery isn't just about doing the therapies. It's about doing them together toward a specific goal.

A care coordinator makes sure every appointment you attend is moving you closer to function. Not just closer to "normal ROM" or "decreased pain" (though those matter), but closer to driving again, working again, doing the things you need to do.

That focus on function, that coordination across providers, that advocacy to ICBC—that's what accelerates recovery and gets extensions approved.

You're not indulging yourself by having a care coordinator. You're being smart about your recovery.


Ready to Start Coordinated Care?

Book an initial assessment with our ICBC care coordinator at Capria Care Collective in Coquitlam. We'll document your full injury history, assess your functional limitations, and build a coordinated treatment plan with your entire care team.

Book your initial assessment

FAQs

  • No. You can book directly with a care coordinator at any ICBC-approved clinic. At Capria, you can start with the care coordinator as your first appointment.

  • ICBC covers care coordination as part of your treatment benefits. The number of sessions depends on your injury and treatment plan. Your care coordinator will document the need for ongoing coordination if your recovery requires it.

  • Yes. A care coordinator can be added to your treatment plan at any point, even if you're already seeing multiple providers. They'll integrate into your existing care team.

  • A case manager works for ICBC. A care coordinator works for you. They advocate on your behalf, coordinate your treatment team, and ensure ICBC has the evidence they need to approve extensions.

 
PatientsRichelle SekiCapria Care CollectiveICBC, Understanding ICBC Enhanced Care Model