Glossary

A

Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT)

The AAT can, on request, review administrative decisions
by most Commonwealth departments and authorities.
This includes reviewing reconsideration decisions made
by Comcare. Either an employee or an employer may
request a review of a decision

Appropriation

Funding approved by Parliament

Approved rehabilitation provider

Under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988, employers may only engage rehabilitation providers that have been approved by Comcare. Rehabilitation providers assist the agency case manager to identify medically suitable duties as part of the return to work plan

APS Code of Conduct

A guide for the way in which an Australian Public Service employee is required to behave

APS Values

Are principles, standards and qualities in which the Australian Public Service operates

C

Case managers

Responsible for workplace-based management of an injured employee’s return to work plan including initiating, coordinating and monitoring the rehabilitation process. The employer is responsible for providing case managers, who are usually employees of the agency

Certified Agreement

An agreement that sets out the terms and conditions
of employment

Claim

Any claim for compensation, eg the initial injury claim,
claim for payment of medical expenses, or claim for incapacity benefits

Claimant (injured employee)

An employee, or a dependant of a deceased employee,
who makes a claim for compensation benefits in accordance with the SRC Act

Claimant Service Charter

Specifies the roles of the provider and consumer, service standards, complaint mechanisms and the availability of translating and interpreting services

Claims management

The effective management of an injured employee’s claim for compensation, including registration of a claim, decision making, benefit payment and return to work planning.
For a claim lodged with Comcare, a Comcare employee manages the claim

Commonwealth Disability Strategy

Requirements for Commonwealth agencies to identify and remove barriers preventing people with disabilities to having access to policies, programs and services

Corporate governance

The process by which agencies are directed and controlled. It is generally understood to encompass accountability (stewardship), performance (leadership) and conformance (control)

CRF

Consolidated Revenue Fund

D

Date of Injury

Date of occurrence (injury), date first sought medical treatment, or date first resulted in incapacity or impairment

Determination

A decision made by Comcare in relation to the application
of entitlements as specified under the SRC Act

Disease

Any ailment suffered by an employee, or the aggravation of such an ailment, that is contributed to, in a material degree, by the employee’s employment

E

Equity and diversity

A concept that recognises, respects and values individual differences in employees

Estimated liability

An estimate of future payments to be made in relation
to an individual claim

F

FTE

Full-time equivalent, in the context of staffing levels.

I

Impairment

The loss, the loss of use, or the damage or malfunction,
of any bodily system or function or part of such system
or function. A permanent impairment is one that is likely
to continue indefinitely

Incapacity

A diminished ability to earn

Incapacity benefit

A payment made by Comcare, directly or indirectly, by way
of income maintenance/replacement

Injury

Refers to either an injury or disease. An injury can be
a physical or mental injury and includes aggravation
of a pre-existing ailment

L

Liability

The effect of a determination, creating a legal obligation to pay compensation under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988

Licensed authority

A Commonwealth authority that is a holder of a licence under Part V111 or Part V111A of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988

Licensed corporation

A corporation that is a holder of a licence under Part V111
or Part V111B of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988

Licensees

Includes licensed authorities and licensed corporations

O

Occupational Health and Safety (Commonwealth Employment) Act 1991 (OHS(CE) Act)

Provides for the health, safety and welfare at work of employees of Commonwealth departments and authorities

Occupational Rehabilitation

A managed process involving early intervention with appropriate, adequate and timely services based on assessed needs, and which is aimed at maintaining injured or ill employees in, or returning them to, suitable employment

P

Permanent Impairment Guide

A guide to assist in determining the amount of compensation payable for permanent impairment

PRACSYS

Computer based system used by Comcare to register and process claims, record benefit payments and prevention statistics, and provide management information reports

Premium

A contribution made to Comcare in respect of the estimated costs of a premium paying agency’s workers’ compensation costs for a given financial year. It is based on fully funded principles and is designed to be responsive to the employing agency’s claims experience

Premium claim

Claim with a date of injury after the introduction of Comcare’s premium system on l July 1989. Also referred to as ‘insured’
or ‘post-premium’ claim

Premium Pool

The sum of all premium funds collected from agencies as assessed by the Actuary as necessary to fully fund liabilities

Premium Rate

The rate, expressed as a percentage of wage/salary dollar, which, when multiplied by the estimate of wage/salary, will provide the premium payable by that agency

Pre-premium claim

Claim with a date of injury prior to the introduction of Comcare’s premium system on l July 1989. These claims and the resultant expenditure may also be called ‘uninsured’

Provider

Person or organisation providing medical, rehabilitation or health services in relation to a work related injury or disease

Q

QWL Corporation Pty Ltd

A wholly owned Comcare subsidiary, which manages claims for some privatised Government Business Enterprises

R

Reconsideration

An employee or employer, who is dissatisfied with a decision made by Comcare, may ask for that decision to be reviewed by an officer not involved in the making of the decision in question. The result of such a review is called a reviewable decision

Rehabilitation

See occupational rehabilitation

Rehabilitation case manager

See case manager

Return to work plan (RTWP)

A document detailing a claimant’s rehabilitation
program including return to work objectives, time frames,
a breakdown of proposed services and costs

Reviewable decision

The term used to describe a decision reconsidered by Comcare. Only when there is a reviewable decision can there be an application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
(see reconsideration and administrative appeals tribunal).

S

Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRC Act)

The legislation which established Comcare and defines how
the workers’ compensation function is to be administered for
the Commonwealth jurisdiction

SES

Senior Executive Service

W

Workers’ compensation expenditure

Expenditure under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988. Includes expenditure on incapacity, medical and associated travel, rehabilitation costs, certain legal costs and other claim related expenses