icare launches open market tender for rehabilitation, medico-legal, and investigation services

icare is running an open market tender for the procurement of workplace rehabilitation, medico-legal and investigation services for the NSW Nominal Insurer Workers Compensation Scheme, as well as the Bush Fire Fighter Compensation Fund, the Emergency and Rescue Workers Compensation Fund and the Uninsured Liability Scheme.

The contracts for the current workplace rehabilitation, medico-legal and investigation services providers end on 31 December 2022.

icare expects to be able to announce in early December 2022 the providers selected for the new panel.

The agreements with successful tenderers will start from 1 January 2023.

The new panel is expected to bring greater consistency in service experience across workplace rehabilitation, medico-legal and investigation services and to help improve the outcomes for injured workers and their employers in NSW.

While the objective of the open market tender is to establish a panel of service providers, icare is not committed to any particular number of service providers and will base any final decision on the responses received through the procurement process.

Importantly, icare is seeking to make the most of a competitive marketplace and ensure quality services through the successful tenders to help improve the outcomes for injured workers and for their employers in NSW.

To ensure continuity of service, all third-party service providers currently on icare's panel will be able to complete their services on claims where the referral was accepted prior to 1 January 2023.

From 1 January 2023:

• Workplace rehabilitation and medico-legal service providers not on icare's new panel can continue to provide services.
• Only investigation service providers on icare's new panel can be referred to for non-medical investigation services.

Employers will be able to continue to utilise their preferred workplace rehabilitation even if the provider is not on icare's panel from 1 January 2023.

If your business has a preferred investigation service provider that is not selected for icare's new panel, referrals for investigations can no longer be made to this provider. Your claim service provider will need to select a suitable provider from the new panel.

For medico-legal services, referrals can be still made for a provider not on icare's panels and workers will continue to be given the opportunity to choose from three options for independent medical examinations.

To ensure continuity of service, all service providers currently on icare's panel will be able to complete their services on claims where the referral was accepted prior to 1 January 2023.

In 2021, icare undertook a consultation process to understand the experience of stakeholders with workplace rehabilitation, medico-legal and non-medical investigations services in the workers compensation scheme. Stakeholders that were consulted included claims service providers, third party service providers, employers and brokers.

The procurement process will follow NSW Procurement Policy Framework and is being supported by an independent organisation.

Providers intending to bid for a contract with icare will receive procurement details under a Confidential Deed Poll. Notification for this open market tender has been made available on the NSW Government eTendering website, with submissions due 6 October 2022.

No, this is a separate tender process. You can read icare's announcement on the open market tender for claims and injury management services for more information.