These guidelines should be read in conjunction with the information at Working with the TAC.

Who can provide optometric services?

You can provide services if you are registered under the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (e.g. AHPRA) to practice in the optometry profession (other than as a student).

What we can pay for

Within the first 90 days of a client’s accident, we can help pay for optometric treatment and services without the need for you or the client to contact us for approval first. The treatment or service must be recommended by a health professional, related to the client’s accident injuries and delivered in line with the Clinical Framework.

If you intend to continue treating a TAC client beyond 90 days after their transport accident you will need to send us a request in writing or a copy of their treatment plan. We will review our client’s treatment to ensure it’s reasonable, clinically justified, outcome focused and in line with the Clinical Framework. We will assess your request and let you and the client know our decision about what we can help pay for and for how long.

If our client has not received treatment in 6 months they will need to seek approval from us before we will pay for further treatment. Ask our client for a copy of their approval if you haven’t seen them in 6 months.

For details see What we can pay for and How to seek TAC approval.

Optometric services

We can help pay for:

• Optometric consultations.
• Computerised perimetry.
• Spectacle glasses and contact lenses.
• One pair of basic non-prescription standard sunglasses, when required as a direct result of the transport accident.
• Replacement of prescription glasses that are damaged in a transport accident.
• Provision of basic equipment. Our approval is required for specialised equipment. Please read our Equipment guidelines and use the Equipment Prescription Form to submit written requests.

Other things to note

Certificates of Capacity

As part of your patient’s treatment, you can complete Certificates of Capacity to assess and certify your patient’s capacity for work.

Medical excess

For accidents that occurred prior to 14 February 2018 a medical excess may apply. Visit the medical excess page to see if it applies to your patient.  If the medical excess applies you will need to invoice the client directly.

Patients with a severe injury

If your patient has a severe injury, the discussion, referral and approval of services may form part of the independence planning process between the patient's treating team and our TAC coordinator.

If your patient already has an individualised funding package, optometric services may be included as part of that.

How much we can pay

We can pay for services in line with our Optometry fees.

If your fee is higher than our fee, you may choose to charge the client the difference in the form of a gap payment.

What we cannot pay for

We cannot pay for treatment or services provided by an optician. The cost of these services is included in the cost of the glasses.

Also see general items we cannot pay for.

For more information

Access our policy for Optical, orthoptic and optometry services.