ICBC Treatment Coverage Explained: What's Included in the First 12 Weeks
You just got home from your most recent car accident. You have a claim number. And now you're looking at that paper they gave you thinking, "Okay... so what am I actually covered for?"
(If you don't have a claim number yet, report your accident to ICBC online at https://www.icbc.com/claims or call 1-855-427-2266. They'll open a claim file and give you a number. Write it down—you'll need it when you book treatment.)
Here’s what’s essential: For the first 12 weeks after your crash, ICBC automatically covers pre-approved treatment sessions for all practitioners, with no referral needed. You don't have to wait for a doctor or a specialist, jump through approval hoops, or convince anyone you "deserve" care. You have it. Use it.
Here are the treatments we offer at Capria—because knowing exactly what you're entitled to changes how you'll use this window.
What's Pre-Approved (And How Much It Costs You)
Registered Massage Therapy (RMT)
First appointment/Initial assessment: $128
Follow-up: $105
Pre-approved sessions: 12
Physiotherapy
First appointment/Initial assessment: $151
Follow-up: $95
Pre-approved sessions: 25
Chiropractic
(we don’t currently have chiro at Capria, but we can recommend some who participate in Coordinated Care with us - call for details)
First appointment/Initial assessment: $121
Follow-up: $75
Pre-approved sessions: 25
Acupuncture
First appointment/Initial assessment: $132
Follow-up: $113
Pre-approved sessions: 12
Kinesiology (Active Rehab)
First appointment/Initial assessment: $117
Follow-up: $94
Pre-approved sessions: 12
Counselling
First appointment/Initial assessment: $262
Follow-up: $157
Pre-approved sessions: 12
ICBC pays us those amounts directly. You don't pay out of pocket for any of this. (Yes, even if you have a deductible on your regular car insurance—this is separate and doesn't count.)
Why These Specific Numbers Matter
ICBC sets these rates because they've decided what they consider "necessary for recovery." This isn't them being stingy. They're saying: "We're covering you for solid treatment from qualified people." And that's exactly what you get.
The User-Fee: Your practitioner might charge more than what ICBC covers. That's common. ICBC reimburses us to a certain amount and you, as the patient, are charged the difference between the ICBC user fee and our regular billing rates ($2-35 depending on the service - all rates are updated and visible on our booking site). We don’t like hidden costs.
We direct-bill ICBC, which means you walk in, get treated, and leave. No receipts to submit, no waiting for reimbursement.
The ICBC Timeline
For most treatments, ICBC covers either 12 sessions OR 12 weeks, whichever comes first. So if you're doing massage therapy twice a week, you'll hit your 12 sessions in 6 weeks. Physiotherapy at 2-3x per week? You might use your 25 sessions before week 12 is up.
That’s okay! Book early, use the time strategically, and if you need more, we know how to request it. Extension requests are straightforward when the clinical evidence is solid—and we're good at building your case. You won't get cut off mid-recovery if you're still improving.
What Happens After 12 Weeks (or 12 Sessions)
After 12 weeks or once you've used your pre-approved sessions, treatment stops being automatically covered. Your practitioner will need to demonstrate to ICBC that you still need it—and just as importantly, show documented proof that you're improving.
This is where Capria really shines. We know exactly what ICBC wants to see, how to document progress clearly, and how to build a case for extension that actually gets approved. It's not guesswork. It's a process we've refined.
(Note: Acupuncture tends to be the first thing ICBC cuts off after pre-approval. So if acupuncture is part of your recovery, the 12-week window is the prime time to use it strategically.)
We'll talk about extending treatment in another post here (because it deserves its own deep dive). For now, just know: what you do in weeks 1-12 matters because it sets you up to argue for extensions if you need them.
The Treatment Types Nobody Asks About
The only good thing about being in a car accident in BC is that the healthcare coverage is broad.
Acupuncture is good for more than crash-related pain. It helps with stress relief, anxiety, sleep issues, digestion concerns—the whole nervous system piece. Once your MVA claim closes, it's harder to justify the need for ICBC to cover your digestive or menstrual concerns. So the pre-approval window is your moment to explore what acupuncture can do for you beyond the immediate injury. You're entitled to it. Use it.
Counselling is covered, and here's why it matters: getting hit by a car rewires your nervous system. Anxiety about driving again. Hypervigilance at intersections. The sudden panic when you see headlights in your rearview mirror. Sleep disruption from pain and stress. ICBC knows this is real recovery work, and not at all optional or a nice-to-have. Twelve counselling sessions is a solid amount to work through the nervous system piece so you can actually get back in a vehicle.
Sometimes the physical recovery is straightforward and the psychological part is what stalls you. All this to say, your mental health is important, Capria and ICBC prioritize it.
Kinesiology (Active Rehab) is where movement becomes functional again. While physiotherapy focuses on assessment and correcting specific dysfunctions, your kinesiologist is reinforcing what physio worked on and translating it into your actual life—work, school, daily activities. They optimize movement patterns so you're not protecting or favoring an injury anymore. They rebuild strength in weak areas, whether that's from the crash or from pre-existing imbalances that the crash exposed.
At Capria, your kinesiologist is also your care coordinator. They're the person connecting the dots between all your practitioners, making sure the work everyone's doing adds up to actual functional recovery—not just pain reduction.
About Occupational Therapy
Let me just start by saying - Capria does not have an Occupational Therapist (yet! Are you an OT who wants to work as a contractor for ICBC patients at Capria? Click here). An occupational therapist figures out how to make your actual life work again. Can you work at your desk? Fold laundry? Drive safely? Get dressed without pain? They're solving that with ergonomics, cognitive strategies, and practical problem-solving—the stuff other practitioners might miss.
This means real adaptations and lifestyle modifications. If you can't reach into a top-loading washing machine, they'll recommend an adaptive tool and ICBC pays for it. If you need to sit to fold laundry but your kitchen counter is too high, they'll find a way to modify your space. They're not treating you for what you present with on the day of, they're problem-solving your life back together.
How ICBC covers it: OT requires a referral from your doctor and ICBC approval of a treatment plan. You'll also get coverage for the adaptive tools and modifications. The process takes a couple extra steps, but the payoff is real.
The rate: $134 per hour. Once approved, ICBC covers it directly—including any and all adaptive equipment your OT suggests.
Why bring it up? Because a lot of people recover their pain-free range of motion but still can't work safely or manage their daily life. That's where OT comes in. They catch the stuff that other practitioners might miss—ergonomics, cognitive strategies, practical problem-solving for getting your life back together.
If your doctor or practitioner thinks you need OT, ask your recovery specialist how to get it approved
Choose Your Providers (And When to Shop Around)
Here's how the 12-week pre-approval window works: you can trial different practitioners and different clinics. You could try 12 different massage therapists at 12 different clinics if you want. You can try three physiotherapists. You can test out who you actually work well with, what clinic environment feels right, which practitioner explains things in a way that lands for you.
Use it. This is your shopping window.
Once you move into extension (the 10 weeks after pre-approval), you're generally locked in to the same clinic and practitioners. You can switch, but it requires more work, documentation and justification to your adjustor. So here's what makes sense: use those 12 weeks to find one clinic where you like multiple practitioners of each type.
Why? Because lots of practitioners are great at some things, but only good at others. Having multiple dependable practitioners at one clinic ensures that you get great care for every element of your recovery. If your favorite RMT is booked, you've got another strong RMT as backup. If you need to reschedule, you're not losing a whole week of care because one person is unavailable. Your recovery doesn't depend on the scheduling luck of one practitioner.
Obviously, we would like you to find practitioners at Capria, but ICBC has a "Recovery Network" of approved providers, and you get to choose. You can ask questions. You can see someone who has a special interest in your specific injury type (prenatal injuries are different from whiplash, which is different from back strains). We recommend checking out google reviews for the clinic and for each practitioner. If you can get word of mouth referrals from other practitioners, that’s even better.
Most importantly: find a team that has a care coordinator holding everything together. Someone taking charge of your case. Someone who's talking to your physio, your massage therapist, your counsellor—making sure everyone's working toward the same goal: getting you back in a vehicle safely and confidently. Someone who is advocating for you to ICBC when your claim is denied and providing irrefutable evidence about your progress and who knows where you’re going next. That coordination matters for your recovery.
What Happens After 12 Weeks?
This is where the picture gets less clear. After 12 weeks, treatment stops being automatically approved. You need to demonstrate to ICBC that you still need it—and that's where good documentation comes in. Your practitioner submits evidence that ongoing treatment is "necessary for your recovery" or will address a decline in your progress.
Does this mean you're cut off? No. But it does mean you're no longer in "pre-approved" territory. It means your case gets individual attention and decision-making.
We'll talk about extending treatment in another post (because it deserves its own deep dive). For now, just know: what you do in weeks 1-12 matters because it sets you up to argue for extensions if you need them and at Capria, we are exceptional at setting your case up for success.
Twelve weeks sounds like a lot until you're living in it. The goal is getting you back in a vehicle safely and confidently. That requires intentional work, and it requires time.
Your next move: book your assessment in the first week. You can use those 12 weeks to build a solid plan with a practitioner you trust, or you can shop around and find someone who really resonates with you. Either way, get appointments scheduled early because you don't want any delays to eating into your recovery window.
You've got coverage. Use it.
Have questions about what's covered for your specific injury? Reach out—we can tell you exactly what makes sense for you and get you on the schedule. Book an assessment or text us.
Located in Coquitlam and serving Port Moody, Anmore, Surrey, Burnaby and across the Greater Vancouver area.