Since May 1, 2021, every British Columbian injured in a crash is covered by ICBC's Enhanced Care model, regardless of who was at fault. This page lays out what Enhanced Care is, which treatments are pre-approved in your first 12 weeks, and how counselling fits in.
Text or call 604-809-5848, if that's easier.
Enhanced Care is the insurance model ICBC introduced on May 1, 2021. It replaced a litigation-based system with a care-based one: instead of proving fault to access treatment, everyone injured in a crash is covered for the care they need.
That includes physical treatments, mental health care, and rehabilitation, with no overall limit. If your injuries keep you from working, income-replacement benefits are higher under Enhanced Care. ICBC can also fund occupational therapy when a healthcare provider recommends it.
Everyone. Drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists injured in a crash involving a vehicle are covered. BC residents are also covered if they're hurt in a crash outside the province. Fault doesn't change your access to care benefits, and neither does whether you were the one behind the wheel.
Care and recovery benefits fund your treatment: the pre-approved sessions below, extensions beyond 12 weeks, prescription medication, medical equipment, and travel to appointments where needed.
Income replacement benefits top up lost earnings if your injuries keep you from working, at up to 90 percent of your net income.
Permanent impairment compensation provides an additional payment where a crash leaves a lasting impairment, on top of care and income benefits.
Report your crash to ICBC online or by phone. Your claim number is what registered providers use to bill ICBC directly, so keep it handy.
Choose registered providers and book promptly. Pre-approved treatments run for 12 weeks from the date of your crash, and you can use more than one type at the same time.
Care doesn't stop at 12 weeks. Your providers can request further treatment from ICBC based on how your recovery is going.
| Treatment | Sessions | Standard fee | Minimum time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physiotherapy | 25 | $93 | 20 min |
| Chiropractic | 25 | $61 | 15 min |
| Massage therapy (RMT) | 12 | $94 | 45 min |
| Kinesiology | 12 | $92 | 45 min |
| Acupuncture | 12 | $104 | 20 min |
| Clinical counselling | 12 | $140 | 50 min |
| Psychology | 12 | $228 | 50 min |
Rates shown are ICBC's published standard treatment fees from its fee guide for health care providers (updated April 1, 2024; fee limits are adjusted annually to inflation). Initial assessment visits are billed at a higher one-time rate. These treatments are pre-approved for everyone in the first 12 weeks after a crash, regardless of fault, and different treatment types can be combined on the same day.
Not for the pre-approved treatments in your first 12 weeks. After that, continued care is arranged between your provider and ICBC.
Coverage is the same. Enhanced Care is a no-fault model: every British Columbian injured in a crash has access to these benefits regardless of who caused it.
Treatment doesn't automatically end. Providers can request further sessions from ICBC based on your recovery, and extensions are routinely granted where care is still needed.
Yes. Psychology and clinical counselling are both pre-approved treatments: 12 sessions each in the first 12 weeks, at no cost to you. Crash-related anxiety, driving fear, low mood, and trauma responses all qualify.
For the source material on your benefits, go straight to ICBC. These pages cover reporting a claim, the full care and recovery benefits, and the Enhanced Care model itself.
Report a claim · Care and recovery benefits · Enhanced Care overview
Counselling is one of the pre-approved treatments, and it's the one Lighthouse provides. If the crash left you anxious behind the wheel, sleeping badly, or not quite yourself, ICBC covers 12 sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor in your first 12 weeks, billed directly, at no cost to you.
Or call 604-809-5848 · info@lighthousecounselling.ca