Motor accidents medical assessors fee schedule

You can download a PDF of this document here.

Medical assessment fees

Fees applicable to MAS 1A, 2A and 4A assessments conducted on or after 1 April 2017

_{Assessment type}	_{On papers}	_Physical	_{Complex physical or} _{Non-complex occupational therapy}	_ABI	_{Complex ABI or complex} _{occupational therapy}	_Psychiatric	_{Complex psychiatric}
_{Single application}	_$1,230	_$1,230	_$1,640	_$1,640	_$2,050	_$1,640	_$2,050

Fees applicable to MAS 5A Review Panel assessments

Fees applicable for same day psychiatric Review Panel assessments

Assessment type	Same day assessment	Panel chair	Certificate writer	Extra reading time (per hour)
Non-complex	$2,460	$410	$1,025	$410
Complex	$2,870	$410	$1,025	$410

Assessment	Additional item	Description	Amount
All assessments	Neuropsychological assessment (ABI protocol)	Screening assessment Full assessment	$2,050 $3,280
	Medical Assessor conferencing	Pro rata rate of $205 per hour	$205
	Extra ‘minor’ impairment assessments	Minor skin or minor dental injuries	$205
	Two or more applications	1 hour equivalent	$410
	Multiple treatment disputes	Up to 5 disputes More than 5 disputes	$205 $410
	Interpreter loading	Per medical assessment examination	$205
	Surveillance imaging review	Pro rata rate of $205 per hour	$205
	Unreasonably late attendance by claimant or interpreter	Requiring an extra 30 minutes or more to complete medical assessment examination Requiring additional appointment to complete medical assessment examination	$205 $410
	Travel time to conduct an examination	Pro rata rate of $205 per hour	$205
	Travel to conduct an examination	Motor vehicle per kilometre rate	$0.66*
All assessments (excluding reviews)	Non-attendance or late cancellation	Notified with less than 1 week notice Notified with less than 72 hours notice	$410 $820
Review panel assessments	Non-attendance or late cancellation	Physical examination/assessor Psychiatric examination/assessor	$410 $820

*Travel expenses are based on the annual Treasury Circular – Review of Meal, Travelling and other allowances.

Medical assessment fees are based on an hourly rate of $410 and include the Medical Assessor’s review of the file, examination and preparation of a certificate including reasons.
No additional fees are payable in relation to an obvious error application.
Additional fees may be paid in relation to an incomplete certificate.
Additional fees (above) are paid on the basis that the ‘additional item’ will incur additional time and therefore will be taken into account for any further request for additional fees.
A discretionary assessment fee at the hourly rate of $410 may be approved in accordance with the Medical assessors fee schedule additional loadings policy.
Travel expenses must be made using the current Dispute resolution services medical assessor payment request and in accordance with the current SIRA medical assessors and reviews panel assessors travel expenses policy.

1 or 2 body systems referred for assessment (there may be more than one injury in each body system). For example, a soft tissue injury to the cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine and shoulders is non-complex because it involves 2 body systems – Spine and upper limb.
The review of documents should not take more than one hour.

More than 2 body systems referred for assessment.
Multiple injuries within 1 body system. For example, separate finger, wrist and shoulder injuries (bilateral injuries do not constitute a complex case).
Medical assessment examination of the claimant is likely to take more than one hour for physical or up to two hours for psychiatric cases.
A large quantity of documentation is provided which is likely to take more than one hour to review.

Assessment of several treatment disputes which relate to the same injury. For example, physiotherapy and arthroscopy disputes in a knee injury – single analysis of the current status and need for further intervention in relation to a knee injury only or massage therapy, CT scan and need for ongoing review by an orthopaedic specialist in relation to a soft tissue injury of the spine - all decisions in this case flow from a single analysis of the status and need for further intervention in relation to the spinal injury.
The review of documents should not take more than one hour.

Medical assessment examination of the claimant is likely to take longer than one hour.
A large quantity of documentation is provided, which is likely to require more than one hour to review.

Medical assessment examination of the claimant is likely to take longer than two hours.
A large quantity of documentation is provided, which is likely to require more than one hour to review.

The complex ABI (Acquired Brain Injury) fee applies where the assessor is asked to examine an ABI injury in addition to more than 2 other body systems.

1^st teleconference - 3 hours (non-complex fee) or 4 hours (complex fee) spent by each panel assessor where the determination is made at the 1^st teleconference.
2^nd teleconference - 2 additional hours for all panel assessors where a 2^nd teleconference is required.
3^rd teleconference - 1 additional hour for all panel assessors where a 3^rd teleconference is required.

Fees cover conferences and medical assessment examination conducted on the same day per assessment.
Fees allow for 6 hours (non-complex fee) and 7 hours (complex fee) spent by each panel assessor for pre-reading, conferencing, medical assessment examination and later certificate editing.