How does ATCMA help our members with ICBC?

We know that paperwork, reports, and billing follow-ups probably aren’t the part of practice that drew you to Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. You want to focus on helping your patients heal! But when it comes to ICBC clients, these administrative steps are an essential part of their care.

That’s where ATCMA can help. One of the key benefits of membership is support with ICBC-related challenges. Here’s how we can make things easier for you:

1. Help with Communicating with ICBC

There are several ways to contact ICBC, depending on your situation. A good starting point is their healthcare providers page. From there, you’ll find links to their contact options.

But what if you don’t hear back? That’s where we step in. If you’re an ATCMA member, reach out to us—we can help.

For example, one of our members was struggling to get set up on the ICBC Recovery Network. After contacting ATCMA, we connected directly with ICBC, and she received a prompt response and resolution.

2. Courses on Writing ICBC Treatment Plans

Under Enhanced Care, ICBC provides coverage for 12 acupuncture sessions within the first 12 weeks following a motor vehicle accident. But what if your patient needs more care beyond that? You’ll need to submit a treatment plan.

Writing treatment plans isn’t something most practitioners were taught in school, and it doesn’t always come naturally. To help, ATCMA members get free access to online courses that walk you through how to write effective ICBC treatment plans: View courses here.

3. When Your Treatment Extension Isn’t Approved

Sometimes, even after submitting a treatment plan, requests for additional acupuncture sessions are denied. This could be for a valid reason—or not. If you don’t understand the decision or disagree with it, your first step is to contact ICBC’s Health Care Enquiry Unit or your patient's Recovery Specialist (adjuster).

If you still run into difficulties, ATCMA is here to support you.

ATCMA’s Ongoing Work with ICBC

Behind the scenes, ATCMA is working hard to ensure ICBC processes are fair and effective for TCM practitioners. Here’s what we’re doing for you:

• Regular advocacy: Our Executive Director meets biweekly with ICBC to raise member concerns and works alongside leaders from other healthcare associations to give input on ICBC operations.

• Payment and fee updates: The ICBC payments you receive today exist because of ATCMA’s advocacy. Annual inflation adjustments and the five-year government consultations on fee structures are driven by this work—this year’s increased session rate is the result of those consultations.

• Recovery Network changes: When ICBC rolled out its Recovery Network, ATCMA—together with the associations for physiotherapists, chiropractors, RMTs, kinesiologists, and others—pushed for changes to ICBC's legal language and processes. Thanks to that effort, ICBC has already implemented improvements and continues to seek our feedback.

• Growing recognition of acupuncture: ICBC has shared with us that there’s been a considerable increase in approved payments for acupuncture over the past year. This may mean more of the public is choosing acupuncture after motor vehicle accidents—and it may also mean ICBC is recognizing how effective acupuncture is for recovery. Either way, it’s great news, and it reinforces what we already know: acupuncture is making a difference in injury rehabilitation.

This is just the beginning. ATCMA will continue to advocate for you and your patients in every conversation with ICBC. Stay tuned for more updates—and remember, your membership makes this work possible.