Work related accidents

If you sustain a work-related serious personal injury on or after 1 July 2016, that was not due to a motor vehicle accident, you may be eligible to receive necessary and reasonable lifetime treatment, care and support under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003.

Workers’ compensation insurers’ have recognised NIISQ Agency as a centre for excellence in supporting people with serious personal injuries.

We work with WorkCover Queensland and other self insurers within the Workers’ Compensation scheme to facilitate:

• A close partnership with the worker and their family, and medical and allied health professionals, to facilitate independent living and a successful rehabilitation and durable return-to-work outcome where possible
• Awareness for potential eligibility with social workers and/or hospital personnel to ensure eligible workers are referred as early as possible
• Support for workers and their families through any referral process to the NIISQ Agency
• Identification and/or coordination of any return-to-work opportunities that deliver realistic and sustainable return-to-work outcomes for the participant, and
• Maintaining the relationship with WorkCover QueensIand and self insurers around involvement with the pre-injury employer where appropriate.

Workers’ compensation entitlements

Your workers’ compensation insurer will make all eligibility decisions about your injury and work-related accident under the Workers Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003.

Treatment, care and support services

Queensland workers’ compensation insurers have engaged the NIISQ Agency to manage eligible workers’ treatment, care and support.

We understand that every eligible worker is different and has unique needs associated with their injury.

We are able to fund necessary and reasonable treatment, care, and support that are personalised to your unique needs and personal goals.

As an eligible worker under the NIISQ Scheme, we will pay for the treatment, care, and support related to your workplace accident injury as long as it is necessary and reasonable.

Support Planner and MyPlan

When you are accepted into NIISQ, you will be assigned a NIISQ Agency Support Planner. You can talk to your Support Planner about anything related to your treatment, care and support. They can also answer questions you might have about treatment, care and support payments.

Your Support Planner may change over time but this will not in any way impact the support we are able to provide to you.

Our Support Planners are here to help and will work collaboratively with you and your key supports to:

• assess your treatment, care and support needs
• identify your individual goals, abilities and limitations
• develop a MyPlan (support plan) that documents your individual goals and assessment outcomes
• detail in MyPlan the necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support NIISQ Agency will fund as well as items that we are not able to fund.

For queries about financial support such as wages compensation or lump sum payments for your injury, please contact your workers’ compensation insurer.

Eligible workers and the interim period

Eligible people who are accepted into NIISQ are called eligible workers.

Eligible workers are accepted for an interim period. This means that the insurer will fund your necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support services for up to two years. NIISQ is reimbursed the cost of payments made for treatment, care and support in accordance with the agreement between the Agency and the insurer.

Before the end of the interim participation period (two years), the insurer will review eligibility for NIISQ. A decision will be made about whether you qualify as a lifetime eligible worker or are no longer entitled to treatment, care and support payments as a result of your rehabilitation and recovery.

If you are assessed as a lifetime eligible worker, the insurer will fund your necessary and reasonable treatment, care and support for the rest of your life.

Your workers’ compensation insurer will provide you with more information about this assessment closer to the time.

More information

For more information, visit www.worksafe.qld.gov.au.