Evaluation of WorkSafe Victoria’s introduction of Streamlined Treatment Approvals policy initiative

WorkSafe Victoria’s (WorkSafe) current five-year strategy, WorkSafe 2017, sets targets infour key areas of Safety, Service, Sustainability and Return-To-Work. An important initiativein the area of Service is the Streamlined Treatment Approval (STA) policy initiative, whichestablishes decision making criteria to expedite the approval of treatment requests by CaseManagers. Introduced in 2014, the STA policy initiative prescribed changes to the manner inwhich Case Managers decide and process four categories of treatment requests, requests for: MRI scans; specified elective surgery; equipment, aids and appliances; and gym and swimming programs. In addition to improving the claims experience associated with these treatment requests, the STA policy initiative also aimed to improve service results(particularly in the 1-99 day cohort), to reduce medical & like disputes, and to improve decision time frames. This report outlines the findings of an independent evaluation of the introduction of the STA policy initiative, with particular focus on the policy initiative as it relates to the claims experiences associated with treatment requests for MRI scans and specified elective surgery. The evaluation was conducted by the Monash Injury Research Institute (MIRI), working with the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR).