#237 TAC patients and when to seek approval
10 November 2020
The TAC has announced that in response to feedback from health professionals, it is providing greater clarity about when doctors need to seek TAC approval for treatment and services, and how it makes decisions about what it can help pay for.
Since 17 August 2020, the TAC’s approval requirements now depend on whether a treatment or service is delivered within the first 90 days of the patient’s accident, or after 90 days. The TAC will define a new patient as one accessing treatment within the first 90 days of their accident.
What the TAC can pay for after an accident
Within the first 90 days of a patient’s accident, the TAC will pay for some treatments and services without the need for the health professional or patient to contact the TAC for approval first. The treatment or service must be:
- on the TAC’s list of approved treatments and services for new TAC patients
- recommended by a health professional, related to the patient’s accident injuries and delivered in line with the TAC Clinical Framework.
Health professionals will need TAC approval to help pay for treatments or services after the first 90 days of a patient’s accident.
More information is available here.
When health professionals need to seek TAC approval
The doctor or patient will need to contact the TAC for approval of treatments and services when:
- the treatment or service is on the TAC’s list of treatments and services that need approval, or
- the treatment or service is on the TAC’s list of approved treatments and services for new TAC patients, but it is approaching, or more than 90 days since the patient’s accident and the TAC has not already approved further treatment, or
- more than six months have passed since the patient received any TAC support.
More details are available here on the TAC website.
