Medical treatment

Comcare may reimburse reasonable medical, hospital, pharmaceutical and other treatment costs where there is an accepted claim for a work-related injury or illness.

Types of medical treatment

The range of medical treatment Comcare may approve payment for is quite broad.

It may include:

• Medical treatment provided by a legally qualified medical practitioner (your doctor) including surgery and hospitalisation.
• The prescription of medicines or medical aids (such as glasses, orthopaedic shoes or artificial limbs).
• Treatment, examinations or tests (such as pathology or x-rays) done under the supervision or at the direction of a legally qualified medical practitioner.
• Treatment by registered dentists.
• Treatment by registered allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, osteopaths and chiropractors.

If physical therapies are undertaken with allied health professionals, Comcare will not usually pay for such treatments from two or more medical providers at the same time.

An employee should seek advance payment approval for treatments such as surgery, hospital admission, expensive tests like an MRI, types of treatments not usually related to their accepted condition or when they require medical aids and appliances.

There is no provision under the SRC Act that makes Comcare liable for the payment of non-attendance or cancellation fees where the employee has made an appointment for medical treatment and failed to attend. Under the SRC Act, non-attendance at a medical appointment does not meet the definition of medical treatment, as no treatment was received or provided. It is therefore the employee’s responsibility to attend an appointment or cancel an appointment within a reasonable timeframe. Any non-attendance or cancellation fee charged is the employee’s responsibility.