Medical attention after car accident, it’s more than whiplash!

If you got injured in a motor vehicle accident in an insured vehicle, by law, you may begin rehabilitation treatments such as physiotherapy, massage therapy or chiropractic as soon as you’re able without the delay of waiting for authorization from the insurance company. Twelve weeks worth of rehabilitation treatments performed by a licensed practitioner is pre-approved under the Minor Injury Guideline (MIG) for a reported accident.

Usually you will feel pain right after the accident, as you may have fracture, whiplash, lumbar strain, neck or shoulder injury. However, some spinal cord injuries may cause headache and numbness in legs and feet after a month or so. It is very important to find medical attention to avoid any delay of your recovery.

What should you bring to attend physiotherapy initial assessment?

You will need copies of x-rays, doctor notes, police records, and any other documents pertaining to the accident to help our physiotherapist gain a more thorough understanding of your injury after car accident. If you have a lawyer representing your case, please include their contact information with your insurance company. Over the course of your treatment, your insurance company may require progress notes and a discharge report when your treatment program is complete.

What can Profusion Rehab do to help your injury after motor vehicle accident?

Based on the guideline, a minor injury (MIG) can consist of whiplash, strains, and sprains. Fractures and neurological/nerve damaging conditions may be considered as non-MIG, which will be further assessed by the physiotherapist to customize the treatment plan and adjust the timeline for your recovery.

During your initial assessment, the physiotherapist will diagnose your condition, establish a detailed treatment plan of personalized services to best fit your needs, and fill out the detailed Treatment Plan (OCF 23 or OCF 18) form to submit to the insurance company on your behalf. These plans can be added to or modified, but the initial plan must first be completed within the designated twelve weeks. Upon assessment of your condition, a physiotherapist will then complete an initial assessment report outlining their clinical findings with a treatment plan that indicates the type(s) and length of treatment(s) recommended. These documents will then be reviewed by your insurance adjuster for authorization.

At Profusion Rehab, we strive to return you to a pain-free life. In the case of minor injury, your treatment will be divided into three blocks of time, each four weeks in duration:
Block 1 (weeks 1-4)
Block 2 (weeks 5-8)
Block 3 (weeks 9-12)
The treatment is designed to be more active and intensive in the first block of sessions to strengthen the affected area, then work towards maintenance with decreased intensity as the program continues to transition you back to your regular function. We’ll even take care of the paperwork!

Goods and Services funding is for any nessary medical items or secondary forms of treatment, which can be accessed at any time during the 12 week period. A choice is always available of goods, services, or a combination of the two.

Have you filled out an OCF 1 yet?

The OCF 1 (Application for Accident Benefits) is a mandatory patient application in order to claim your accident benefits. This form essentially identifies you to the insurance company to qualify you for care so that the services rendered can be carried out and billed. The OCF 1 has highly personal questions that must be submitted person to person; there cannot be one OCF 1 per family. It may requires about a week to process.

What about OCF 3?(Disability Certificate)

The OCF3 Disability Certificate must be completed by your regulated health care practitioner, such as a Physician, Physiotherapist, Dentist, Occupational Therapist, or Psychologist. The form is used to help identify the patient’s injury cased by the car accident or pre existing conditions that have been aggravated, to determine if the patient can return to regular or modified working duties, schooling, caregiving, and other normal daily activities. With the completion of the OCF 3, depending on the patient’s case, additional services such as housekeeping may be provided at the discretion of the claim adjuster.

What if I also have extended health benefits?

If you do not have an extended health care plan which covers physiotherapy, then your services can be billed directly through the motor vehicle accident insurance company without you having to pay anything. If your group insurance covers physiotherapy, the funding consists of your EHC coverage on top of the auto insurance. We are required to first use your extended health care coverage for physiotherapy services, then the remainder of the bill is covered by your motor vehicle accident insurance plan. Any carryover goes to the OCF18 for goods and services.

Billing and Payment

Once your claim number has been approved, all billed charges will be paid to the provider by the motor vehicle insurance company.

For more information regarding regulations of auto insurance in the province of Ontario please visit Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO).