Hurt at work in BC?
On an accepted claim, your physio should bill WorkSafeBC for claim-related care, and you should not have to pay fees. Plus: your WCB claim number and Form 6.
At a glance
WorkSafeBC is the Workers’ Compensation Board of BC, so you will also see it called WCB. WorkSafeBC’s new physiotherapy services agreement took effect on April 1, 2026. This page is based on the WorkSafeBC pages listed at the bottom, checked on the dates shown there.
Costs
| Claim stage | What WorkSafeBC pays | What you may pay |
|---|---|---|
| Accepted | Care related to your claim. Your clinic bills WorkSafeBC for it. | You should not have to pay fees for care related to your claim. Care for a body area that is not part of your claim can be billed to you. |
| Pending (first assessment) | Your first assessment, with no prior approval, if it is within 60 days of your injury. It pays even if the claim is later denied. | A contracted clinic bills WorkSafeBC directly for this assessment. |
| Pending (treatment visits) | The treatment visits it pays for start only once the claim is accepted. | A clinic may ask you to pay. If the claim is accepted later, you can ask the clinic for a refund. |
| Denied | The first assessment, if your claim was pending at that visit. | WorkSafeBC does not pay for treatment visits given while the claim was pending, so a clinic may ask you to pay for them. |
| More than 60 days after injury | Treatment it has approved before the treatment starts. It is not refused automatically. | Treatment needs WorkSafeBC’s approval first, so ask the clinic about costs before you book. |
| Not contracted with WorkSafeBC | It repays you at its set rate, $95 per visit from April 1, 2026. | You pay for each visit yourself, and you pay any difference above WorkSafeBC’s rate. |
Not sure which stage you are at? Ask the clinic before your appointment. More on fees
Claim number
You need to have reported the injury to WorkSafeBC, but your claim can still be pending. At a contracted physiotherapist, you can have your first assessment before WorkSafeBC accepts your claim if it is within 60 days of your injury. WorkSafeBC mails you an 8-digit claim number, your WCB claim number, once it gets your report. Ask the clinic what to bring if your claim number has not arrived yet.
When you book, tell the clinic the injury happened at work. WorkSafeBC asks you to tell anyone who treats you that the injury happened at work.
It comes by mail, in the letter WorkSafeBC sends once it gets your report. If you cannot find it, call WorkSafeBC’s Claims Call Centre at 1.888.967.5377 toll-free or 604.231.8888 in the Lower Mainland, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
TipWhen the letter with your claim number comes, take a photo of it. Then you will always have the number on your phone.
Reporting
First, tell your employer as soon as it is safe, and tell anyone who treats you that it happened at work. Then report it to WorkSafeBC. You can report online any time, day or night, or by phone through Teleclaim. You have up to one year from the injury to report it, but it is best to report right away.
WorkSafeBC recommends reporting online for a physical injury from a single incident. Online reporting is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
WorkSafeBC lists what to have ready, such as your Personal Health Number and how the injury happened.
Call 1.888.967.5377 toll-free, or 604.231.8888 in the Lower Mainland. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time.
The phone may suit you better for an injury that came on slowly, a mental health injury or hearing loss.
The paper Form 6 has been retired. Workers now report online or by phone. Form 6A is a notice you give to your employer, not to WorkSafeBC. Your employer may ask you to fill it in. We do not copy forms onto this page. Use WorkSafeBC’s own pages so you always get the current version.
Your employer has its own duty: it must report the injury to WorkSafeBC within 72 hours if you missed work or needed medical care beyond first aid.
Pending claims
Yes, you can start with an assessment. A contracted physiotherapist can do your first assessment on a pending claim, with no prior approval, if it is within 60 days of your injury. The clinic bills WorkSafeBC directly for that assessment. Treatment visits paid by WorkSafeBC can start only after the claim is accepted. Before then, a clinic may ask you to pay for treatment. If your claim is accepted later, you can ask the clinic for a refund. If the claim is denied, WorkSafeBC does not pay for treatment visits given while it was pending. Ask the clinic how it handles visits while your claim is pending.
Before you book follow-up visits Pending claim
Book WCB physio online at a Synergy Rehab clinic near home or work
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Surrey
Langley and Abbotsford
Denied claims
If your claim was pending at your first visit, WorkSafeBC still pays a contracted clinic for that first assessment, even if the claim is later denied. If the claim is denied, WorkSafeBC does not pay for treatment visits given while it was pending. Each clinic decides whether to ask you to pay for those visits or to wait for the decision before treating you. If you disagree with the decision, you can ask for a review within 90 days.
A denied claim is hard news, especially when you are still sore. Read the decision letter closely. The 90 days for a review count from the date of the decision. You can also contact the Workers’ Advisers Office for advice at any stage of your claim.
The 60-day rule
It is possible, but WorkSafeBC has to approve it first. It is not refused automatically, so 60 days is not a cut-off for physio. The 60 days is the window in which a contracted physio can do your first assessment without asking WorkSafeBC first. Tell the clinic your injury date when you book.
You may read online that after 60 days you need a doctor’s referral for WorkSafeBC physio. That is not what WorkSafeBC’s rule says. After 60 days, the step it names is pre-approval, not a referral: WorkSafeBC has to approve treatment before it starts. It is not refused automatically. If you have surgery related to your claim, the 60-day window for a first assessment without approval can count from the surgery date.
Fees
Once WorkSafeBC accepts your claim, your clinic bills WorkSafeBC for care related to your claim, and you should not have to pay any fees. A clinic with a WorkSafeBC contract is not allowed to charge you extra, such as a top-up or user fee, for services under that contract, except where the contract allows it. Costs can still come up, including in the cases below.
If you are not sure what a visit will cost you, ask the clinic before your appointment.
Choosing a physio
Yes, but you pay for each visit yourself and then ask WorkSafeBC to pay you back. WorkSafeBC repays at its set rate, $95 per visit from April 1, 2026, and you pay any difference. WorkSafeBC asks workers who need physiotherapy to visit a physiotherapist who has a contract with WorkSafeBC in their region.
That “you pay the difference” rule is for physios without a contract. A contracted clinic cannot charge you extra for services under its WorkSafeBC contract, except where the contract allows it.
WorkSafeBC publishes regional lists of physiotherapy clinics contracted for musculoskeletal care, for example the Vancouver area and the Fraser Valley. It keeps separate lists for other programs, so being on one list does not mean a clinic is on another. You can also simply ask the clinic when you call.
Extensions
If you need more treatment, your physiotherapist can ask WorkSafeBC for it, and WorkSafeBC decides whether to approve the request. WorkSafeBC’s new physiotherapy services agreement took effect on April 1, 2026. If you read about WorkSafeBC physio on an older page, check it against WorkSafeBC’s own site. Ask your physiotherapist where your treatment stands on your claim right now.
If your physiotherapist thinks you need more treatment, they can request it as part of your treatment plan. WorkSafeBC decides.
Other care on a claim
WorkSafeBC acupuncture needs an accepted claim but no referral. The treatment has to suit your accepted injury and focus on active rehab and getting back to work.
You need an accepted claim. No referral is needed. Past the first set of visits, a WorkSafeBC officer has to approve more.
Thinking about acupuncture on your claim? Ask the clinic before you book. You can find our clinics on our WorkSafeBC physiotherapy page.
Who does what
Our physiotherapists assess and treat your injury. At our clinics with a confirmed WorkSafeBC contract, we bill WorkSafeBC directly for physiotherapy on your claim: the first assessment, and treatment visits once your claim is accepted. WorkSafeBC accepts claims, and the treatment visits it pays for start only after that. WorkSafeBC also decides whether to approve more treatment if you need it. You tell your employer and report the injury to WorkSafeBC. If you are not sure who to ask, ask us.
At our clinics with a confirmed WorkSafeBC contract:
If something is unclear, ask us.
Who we treat
Injured at work in BC? Your WorkSafeBC physiotherapy plan is built around the tasks your job asks of you, so you can get back to work safely.
Lower back injury, herniated disc, rotator cuff injury and knee strain from lifting, climbing and working overhead.
Lifting injury, low back strain and sciatica from bending, carrying and loading all shift.
Neck pain, back pain and sciatica from long hours at the wheel, plus shoulder strain from loading and climbing in and out of the cab.
Back and shoulder injuries from moving and repositioning patients, and sore feet and knees from long shifts.
Repetitive strain injury, tennis elbow, wrist pain and neck pain from keyboard and screen work. Ask us about office ergonomics.
Tendonitis, repetitive strain injury and frozen shoulder from fast, repeated tasks on a line.
Plantar fasciitis, ankle sprain, knee pain and shoulder strain from standing all day, mopping and carrying, plus slips and falls at work.
Back strain, shoulder and knee injuries from digging, lifting and uneven ground across the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley.
Knee, back and shoulder injuries from heavy gear, running and physical calls.
Your job is not on the list? We treat work injuries in every line of work. Call or book a WCB assessment and tell us what your day looks like.
FAQ
On an accepted claim, care related to your claim is billed to WorkSafeBC, and you should not have to pay any fees. A contracted clinic also bills WorkSafeBC directly for your first assessment, even before the claim is accepted, if it is within 60 days of your injury. Treatment visits before acceptance are different: a clinic may ask you to pay, and you can ask for a refund if the claim is accepted later. If the claim is denied, WorkSafeBC does not pay for treatment visits given while it was pending. Care for a body area that is not part of your accepted claim can be billed to you. At a physio who is not contracted with WorkSafeBC, you pay and WorkSafeBC repays only its set rate.
Here is the usual order. Tell your employer. Report the injury to WorkSafeBC online or by phone. Book a first assessment with a contracted physio, even while the claim is pending, if it is within 60 days of your injury. Your 8-digit claim number comes by mail. Treatment visits paid by WorkSafeBC can start only after the claim is accepted. If you need more treatment later, your physio can ask WorkSafeBC for it. WorkSafeBC decides.
WorkSafeBC’s advice is simple: if you need physiotherapy, go to a physiotherapist who has a contract with WorkSafeBC and explain that your injury is work-related.
Report it now. There needs to be a WorkSafeBC claim, even a pending one, for the clinic to bill WorkSafeBC. You can report online at any time, or call Teleclaim at 1.888.967.5377, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. You have up to one year from the injury, but sooner is better.
Yes. WorkSafeBC asks you to tell your employer about the injury as soon as it is safe to do so. Your employer must report it to WorkSafeBC within 72 hours if you missed work or needed medical care beyond first aid. Your employer may also ask you to fill in Form 6A, which goes to them, not to WorkSafeBC.
Yes. A contracted physio can do a post-surgery assessment on your claim without asking WorkSafeBC first, as long as it is within 60 days of the surgery related to your claim. Bring any notes or exercise sheets your surgeon gave you to your first visit.
Every WorkSafeBC rule on this page comes from the WorkSafeBC pages listed here. If anything here and WorkSafeBC’s site ever differ, WorkSafeBC’s site is right.
Sources researched November 2, 2026.
At a WorkSafeBC-contracted clinic, you can have your first assessment while your claim is pending if it is within 60 days of your injury. Pick the clinic nearest home or work.
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