When you first attend an osteopathic clinic, bring your claim number, your GP referral, the contact details of your case manager and any reports about your injury. This will help the osteopath to establish your approval status and identify how best to help you manage your workplace injury.
In some regions, a schedule of fees caps the maximum amount an osteopath will be paid for workplace injury management services. If this applies to you, your case manager will only pay an osteopath up to the amount specified in the schedule. In some cases, osteopaths can charge a ‘gap payment’ over the schedule of fees, which has to be paid by a client. If you are approved to access an osteopath, ask your case manager for fee rules and ask your osteopath if they intend to charge a gap fee before you proceed with treatment.
An osteopath can give information about your progress to the case manager and others involved in helping you return to work.
If you are not approved or have approval pending to receive workplace injury management services from an osteopath and proceed irrespective, you may be responsible for paying all practitioner services. The osteopath will give you invoices with which you can seek reimbursement, but any reimbursement will be at the discretion of the relevant scheme and your case manager.
