Medical Coverage and Other Benefits

Dealing with a long-term injury or illness can be difficult, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. WCB provides financial benefits, health care supports, and practical services to help you. We also help you stay connected to work when it’s safe to do so.

Coverage for health care treatment and related expenses

Treatment and costs related to treatment such as transportation to approved medical appointments may be covered by the WCB. Coverage for these services must be approved by your case worker. Treatment services offered include:

• Physiotherapists
• Chiropractors
• Doctors
• Psychologists
• Counsellors
• Social workers
• Treatments

Mobility, assistive devices, and accessibility

Staying mobile is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. If you need help moving around your home, talk to a case worker about access to mobility and assistive devices. They can also assess your other needs. In rare situations, involving very significant injuries and limitations, coverage for home modifications or renovations may be considered.

Any assistive devices you use—such as a wheelchair or brace—need to be safe and in good working order. If you think a device related to your workplace injury needs repair or replacement, talk to a case worker. When a device is eligible for coverage, your service provider will assess it, confirm what’s needed, and submit a repair or replacement request to WCB on your behalf.

Is it covered?

Review WCB’s health services coverage policies to see if an expense might be covered. This has a list of less-common health care treatments that may be covered when medically necessary, like massage therapy, platelet therapy, and osteopathy. It also outlines WCB’s position on non-medical expenses that you might incur when injured, like snow removal and child care.

Return to Work and Stay at work

If you need help returning to work or if you are working and need help to keep working, WCB is here to support you.  Talk to a Long-Term Benefits case worker to learn how we can help.

Prescription medications

Most prescription medications related to your workplace injury will be covered by WCB.

Some prescriptions require a special authorization. This usually applies when a drug is higher risk, more expensive, used for complex conditions, or not normally covered for your type of injury. Special authorization helps confirm that the medication is medically necessary and appropriate based on your situation.

Your doctor must submit additional information to have the medication approved by our prescription partner Medavie Blue Cross. If your medication needs a special authorization:

• The special authorization needs to be updated every 6 months or every year depending on the type of medication. This step is important to ensure your medications continue to be covered. Ask your doctor to fill out the special authorization form; they will be familiar with this process.
• Medavie Blue Cross will review the authorization form and will forward approvals to the WCB to make sure your prescriptions will continue to be billed to WCB when you go to the pharmacy.
• If you have any questions about your medications, contact a case worker directly through WCB Online or call us.

Travel expenses

WCB will pay you back for most routine travel expenses related to medical care for your workplace injury. You do not need advance approval for common costs like meals, parking, or highway tolls (when traveling for approved treatments). If it’s your first time submitting travel expenses—or if you’re unsure what’s covered—check with a case worker.

See covered expenses for injured workers for full details, including travel expenses that are not included.

Advance approval is needed for some travel expenses

Some travel expenses need approval up front. It’s important to get approval before you pay the expense.

These include:

• Driver/attendant (if you need someone to drive or accompany you to an appointment)
• Taxis
• Overnight accommodations in a private home—may be approved at $40/night
• Hotel accommodations—contact your case worker for approval and booking

Receiving payment for approved travel expenses

When you submit approved expenses through WCB Online, and have direct deposit, you can be reimbursed within a few days. This is the fastest way to get paid back.

If you are unable to submit online, fill out a travel expense form (PDF) and send it to us by mail or fax. Keep a copy for your records and allow several weeks for processing.

Have more questions?

If you have an assigned case worker, please contact them directly. They are here to support your recovery and are committed to providing quality service in a timely manner.

Log in to WCB Online to quickly and easily access claim info, submit forms, and communicate securely with us.

You can also call us at 1-800-870-3331.