ALLIED HEALTH PROVIDER USER GUIDE AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN - WorkCover Queensland

Sep 12, 2026

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A submission letter supporting the Allied Health Provider user guide and program management plan template for WorkCover Queensland, dated 31 January 2023. Exercise & Sports Science Australia outlines the credentials and scope of Accredited Exercise Physiologists, then summarizes recommended changes to the Program Management Plan template and user guide. Key themes include adding remuneration for completion, simplifying outcome measures columns, improving online flexibility, standardizing terminology, clarifying approval requirements and response timelines, and expanding outcome measures to validated holistic indicators.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages5

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

About Exercise Physiology

Summary of Recommendations

Program Management Plan

ALLIED HEALTH PROVIDER USER GUIDE AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN WORKCOVER QUEENSLAND QUEENSLAND GOVERNMENT 31 January 2023 EXERCISE & SPORTS SCIENCE AUSTRALIA (ESSA) SUBMISSION RE: ALLIED HEATLH PROVIDER USER GUIDE AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT PLAN WorkCover Queensland Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you for the opportunity to review the draft of the Allied health provider user guide and program management plan template. Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the peak professional association for exercise and sports science professionals in Australia, representing more than 11,000 members comprising university qualified Accredited Exercise Physiologists, Accredited Sports Scientists, Accredited High-Performance Managers and Accredited Exercise Scientists. Overall ESSA is supportive of the draft resources , which have been reviewed by ESSA members working in the scheme. Through this review there was a few suggested improvements to the drafts presented and questions raised in relation to the process for implementation. The key recommendation was in relation to remuneration for completion of the Program Management Template which is a lengthy document. We welcome the opportunity to provide further detail at our regular stakeholder engagement meetings. Please contact ESSA Senior Policy & Advocacy Advisor, Judy Powell on 07 3171 9688 [or at](or at judy.powell@essa.org.au)[ j](or at judy.powell@essa.org.au)[udy.powell@essa.org.au](or at judy.powell@essa.org.au) for further information or questions arising from the following submission. Yours sincerely Jeffrey Allen Manager Policy & Advocacy Exercise & Sports Science Australia Judy Powell Senior Policy & Advocacy Advisor Exercise & Sports Science Australia 1.0 ABOUT EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY Accredited Exercise Physiologists (AEP) are at least four-year university degree qualified allied health professionals. They provide services to people across the full health spectrum, from the healthy population through to those at risk of developing a health condition, and people with health conditions, a disability, and aged related illnesses and conditions, including chronic, complex and mental health conditions [1] . Exercise physiology services are recognised by Australian compensable schemes including Medicare, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA), workers’ compensation schemes and private health insurers. Australia’s exercise physiology profession comprises approximately 7,500 AEPs, with over 1700 of these in Queensland. 2.0 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendation 1: ESSA recommends that remuneration be provided for the completion of the initial Program Management Plan and that this be reflected in the user guide and Allied Health Table of Costs. Recommendation 2: ESSA recommends that the number of columns in the outcome measures section be reduced to initial and current measures only. Recommendation 3: ESSA recommends that flexibility in an online version be created to allow for adequate space to provide more information and to add extra lines to tables. Recommendation 4: ESSA recommends that consistent language be used in reference to examples of service types, changing Accredited Exercise Physiologists to Exercise Physiology. Recommendation 5: ESSA recommends that expectations be outlined on the level of information to be provided. Recommendation 6: ESSA recommends that clarity be provided in the guide on: • the mandatory nature of the treatment approval process and whether this will be exclusive to submission via Provider Connect. • Responding to questions that may be outside scope of practice and therefore completion of all sections of the PMP may not be appropriate. • A specific time of 2-3 business days for insurers to respond to the online submission of the PMP be stated. Recommendation 7: ESSA recommends that the outcome measures referenced be expanded to include holistic measures that are s

FAQs

What are ESSA’s main recommendations for the Program Management Plan template?

ESSA recommends remuneration for completion, reducing outcome-measures columns, enabling online flexibility, using consistent language for service type references, outlining information expectations, clarifying mandatory approval and scope responses, setting a 2–3 business day insurer response time, and expanding outcome measures to include standardized, validated holistic measures.

Why does ESSA raise concerns about completing the PMP without remuneration?

ESSA notes the PMP is lengthy and that without remuneration providers may need to multitask outside consultations, increasing administrative burden and risking poorer information quality and consultation outcomes.

How should service approval timing and the submission pathway be clarified?

ESSA requests clarity on the mandatory nature of the treatment approval process, whether approval is exclusive to submission via Provider Connect, and it recommends stating a specific 2–3 business day timeframe for insurers to respond to online PMP submissions.

Sep 12, 2026

Upload by Ophelia