A work injury brings a surprising amount of paper: a claim number, a certificate from your doctor, letters from an insurer you’ve never dealt with before. Then someone mentions exercise-based rehab, and nobody explains who arranges it, who approves it or who pays.
That gap matters more than it looks. In Western Australia, if your claim hasn’t been accepted yet, you pay for treatment yourself. Keep the receipts, because the insurer may reimburse you later (WorkCover WA’s guide for workers spells this out). Even after acceptance, the insurer pays for treatment it considers reasonable, at rates WorkCover WA sets. Book without checking and you could be left covering the difference.
This guide looks at WorkCover WA exercise physiology from the worker’s side of the desk, using the questions injured workers actually ask. Terms get explained as they come up. Anything only your insurer can answer is flagged, and nothing here is medical advice for your own body.
What Is Exercise Physiology Under WorkCover WA?
Start with the basics, because the words in your paperwork don’t always match the words clinics use.
What is exercise physiology?
Exercise physiologists are allied health professionals with a university degree. Healthdirect describes their job as helping people improve their health through exercise, and says they work with people who have injuries, long-term conditions or disability. In Australia, Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) accredits them, and the title to look for is Accredited Exercise Physiologist.
In plain terms, an exercise physiologist checks what your body can do right now, then builds a graded set of exercises around what you need to do. At work, that might be lifting a box, standing for a full shift or getting through a day at a desk. The exercises start from where you are now, not from where your job expects you to be.
One naming quirk is worth knowing about. WorkCover WA’s guidance for exercise physiologists has carried the title “Exercise Based Programs”, while the current Fees Order calls the same kind of service “exercise program” services. As far as we can tell, both labels describe supervised exercise, planned by an exercise physiologist, as part of a claim. If you’re searching for exercise based programs WorkCover Western Australia information, that’s the service you’re looking at.
Why does exercise physiology come up in WorkCover claims?
WorkCover WA endorses the Clinical Framework for the Delivery of Health Services, a guide for doctors and allied health providers who treat people with work injuries. One of its five principles is to set goals around function, participation and return to work. Another asks providers to measure and demonstrate whether treatment is working.
Exercise suits both. Goals can be tied to your actual job, and progress can be checked against them, such as how much you can lift or how long you can stay on your feet. That fit may be part of the reason exercise physiology shows up in claims at all.
That last point is handy for you personally. It means you can ask your exercise physiologist, in plain words, how they’ll track whether the sessions are working.
What makes exercise physiology different from physiotherapy?
People often mix the two up, and the paperwork doesn’t help. The overlap is real. WorkCover WA’s Fees Order, which sets the most a provider can charge, allows exercise program services to be delivered by an ESSA-accredited exercise physiologist or by a registered physiotherapist. The table below is a general guide only. Your doctor and your clinic can tell you which fits your injury.
| Physiotherapy | Exercise physiology | |
| Where it often starts | Soon after an injury or surgery, when pain and movement are the main worry | Once your doctor and clinician agree you can build up strength and work tolerance |
| Main focus | Assessing and treating the injury, which can include hands-on treatment | Graded exercise built around your goals and the demands of your job |
| What a session looks like | Assessment, treatment and exercises, with the mix changing over time | Supervised exercise, with the plan adjusted as you progress |
| Under the Fees Order | Registered physiotherapists have their own fee items and can also deliver exercise program services | Exercise program fee items require an ESSA-accredited exercise physiologist, or a registered physiotherapist |
Plenty of people see both, at different stages. If you’re not sure which fits, that’s a conversation for your doctor and case manager before you book anything.
Words you’ll see in your paperwork
| Term | What it means |
| Case manager | The person at the insurer who looks after your claim. You may also see “claims manager”. |
| Certificate of capacity | A form from your doctor that says what work you can do right now. |
| Functional capacity | What you can physically do at home and on the job at the moment. |
| ESSA | Exercise and Sports Science Australia, the professional body that accredits exercise physiologists. |
| Treatment management plan (TMP) | A written plan from your therapist covering your goals, the treatment proposed and how long it may run. |
| Reasonable treatment | The test the insurer applies: does this treatment make sense for the injury on your claim? |
| Suitable duties | Lighter or modified work you can do while you build back up to your usual job. |
Am I Eligible? Your WorkCover Claim and Exercise Physiology Coverage
Short answer to “Can I get exercise physiology under WorkCover?” It can be, if you have a claim and the insurer agrees the treatment is reasonable for your injury. The longer answer has a few moving parts, so here they are one at a time.
Who can access exercise physiology under WorkCover WA?
You need a workers’ compensation claim. What happens with treatment costs depends on where that claim is up to, and WorkCover WA’s guide for workers is clear about the difference.
| Where your claim is up to | Who pays for treatment | What to do |
| Accepted | The insurer pays for reasonable medical and allied health treatment. You may pay the invoice first and be reimbursed, or the invoice can go straight to the insurer by arrangement. | Ask your case manager which way your insurer handles it before you book. |
| Not accepted yet | You, for now. | Keep every receipt. If the insurer accepts the claim later, you may be reimbursed. |
| Deferred (the decision is on hold) | If you qualify, provisional payments for medical and health expenses can apply, and your employer makes them. | Ask your employer or case manager what is covered while you wait. |
You also get to choose your provider. WorkCover WA says you have the right to be treated by a doctor or allied health provider of your choice, so the first clinic your insurer mentions isn’t the only option. That applies whether you live in Perth or somewhere regional. If you’re after WorkCover exercise physiology in Perth specifically, our Belmont clinic is one place to start.
What injuries or conditions qualify?
People want a list. There isn’t a simple one to hand over. WorkCover WA describes the entitlement as “reasonable medical and allied health treatment expenses”, so the real question is whether exercise is reasonable for the injury on your claim.
Take a shoulder injury that’s been accepted. Exercise aimed at that shoulder, and at the work tasks it limits, is easy to link back to the claim. Exercise for general fitness, or for a different complaint, is harder to link, and the insurer may ask questions about it. That link is what your exercise physiologist’s paperwork is trying to show.
Only your insurer can say yes or no to a particular plan. A clinic can explain what’s being proposed and why. Healthdirect lists injuries among the reasons people see an exercise physiologist, but that’s the general picture, not an approval.
Do I need a referral? How do I get started?
Healthdirect says anyone can see an exercise physiologist without a referral. That holds for people paying their own way. Under a claim, the insurer is the one being asked to pay, so checking first is the safer move.
A typical path looks like this:
| Step | What happens | Who’s involved |
| 1 | Get your claim number and your case manager’s contact details. | You |
| 2 | Ask your doctor whether exercise-based rehab suits your injury, and check what your certificate of capacity says about work. | You and your doctor |
| 3 | Tell your case manager you’d like to start exercise physiology, and ask what they need before session one. | You and the insurer |
| 4 | Book an initial assessment. | You and the clinic |
| 5 | The exercise physiologist sends the insurer an initial report. Under the Fees Order it includes a detailed cost plan that needs the insurer’s approval. | Exercise physiologist and insurer |
| 6 | Sessions run as approved, with progress reports along the way. | Everyone involved |
Will WorkCover pay for it? What are my costs?
If your claim is accepted, you’re entitled to reasonable medical and allied health treatment expenses. The key word is reasonable, and the insurer makes that call.
The WorkCover exercise physiologist assessment fees in WA come from a published schedule called the Workers Compensation (Health Services) Fees Order 2025. It started on 1 November 2025 and replaced the 2024 version, so it’s worth asking your clinic which order it’s working from. For exercise physiologists it sets separate items for an initial consultation (up to two hours, covering assessment and programme design), later consultations (up to one hour) and written reports. Time limits can’t be exceeded, and extras such as gym or pool fees need the insurer’s approval first. We haven’t put dollar amounts here because the figures are reviewed regularly. The Fees Order has the current ones.
Two more things shape your costs. There’s an overall limit on medical and health expenses for each claim, which can be extended in some cases, so it’s fair to ask your case manager how much is left. And if a provider’s fees sit above WorkCover WA’s set rates, WorkCover WA’s guidance for providers says the worker may be responsible for the gap. Ask about that before the first appointment, not after the invoice arrives.
Not Sure Where Your WorkCover Claim Stands?
Between the insurer’s letters and your doctor’s certificate, it’s easy to lose track of what’s been approved and what hasn’t. If a work injury is still getting in the way of your shifts, and the paperwork has you second-guessing every step, you’re far from the only one. Exercise physiology is one part of the picture, and you don’t need to have it all figured out before you ask.
A 10-minute consultation call is a low-pressure way to ask how things work at our Perth clinic, what your insurer might need and whether an assessment makes sense. There’s no obligation to continue afterwards.
Book a 10-minute consultation, call 1300 090 931, or read about our workers compensation support.
The Allied Health Treatment Management Plan: What Is It and How Does Exercise Physiology Fit In?
A treatment management plan sounds heavier than it is. Here’s what it does and where WorkCover WA exercise physiology comes into it.
What’s the Allied Health Treatment Management Plan (TMP)?
WorkCover WA has used treatment management plans for some time, and the occupational therapy upper limb version shows how they work. It’s completed when treatment is likely to go past ten upper limb consultations or four weeks, whichever comes first. The therapist fills in the injury, your work status, your goals and a table of planned treatment, then sends copies to you, your doctor and the insurer. The insurer is expected to reply within three to five business days and uses the plan to decide whether the treatment is reasonable.
The physiotherapy plan follows the same idea and is built around the Clinical Framework principles above. WorkCover WA has also released a new Allied Health Treatment Management Plan. Details differ between professions, so treat the numbers above as an example and ask your clinic which plan, and which threshold, applies to you.
Where does exercise physiology fit into your TMP?
So where does the allied health treatment management plan for exercise physiology sit in all this? The honest answer is that it depends on what applies to your claim, and it’s worth asking the clinic directly. What the Fees Order does show is that exercise physiology already has its own paperwork. There’s an initial report with a detailed cost plan, progress reports when the referrer asks for them, and a final report at the end.
Where a plan does apply, it’s the place where exercise connects to your work. Read it like a map of your next stretch of treatment. A goal such as “lift a box from the floor to the bench without stopping” tells you something. A goal such as “improve strength” doesn’t. If your plan reads like a template, ask what has been tailored to your job. Ask for a copy too. On the occupational therapy version, the worker is among those who receive one.
How many sessions will I get?
There’s no standard number to count on. The plan your exercise physiologist proposes sets the starting point. The insurer then decides what to approve, and an overall cap on medical and health costs for your claim sits over the top of both. Each session also has a time limit under the Fees Order: up to two hours for the first, and up to one hour after that.
Thresholds matter too. On the occupational therapy upper limb plan, the trigger is more than ten consultations or four weeks, whichever comes first. Ask what the trigger is for you, and what happens at that point if you need more sessions. It also helps to ask your case manager how long approvals take, so you know what to expect while one is pending. On the occupational therapy form the insurer is expected to reply within three to five business days, but your insurer may work to a different timeframe.
How often will I see the exercise physiologist?
Frequency belongs in the plan. The occupational therapy form asks for a table of treatments, showing how often and for how long. An exercise physiology plan may look similar: a set number of visits a week, for a set number of weeks, then a review. Yours could look quite different.
Plans can change. If your duties change, your doctor updates your certificate or something isn’t working, tell your exercise physiologist and ask for the plan to be revisited. Tell your case manager too.
One more distinction is worth having. Your exercise physiologist can report on what you’re managing in sessions, but your doctor decides what work you’re fit for and records it on your certificate of capacity. The occupational therapy form even asks the therapist for comments to help the doctor certify capacity, which is where the two roles meet.
What to Expect: Your First Session and Exercise Programme Structure
Here’s how injured worker exercise physiology under WorkCover tends to run in practice. Clinics differ and your insurer’s approvals shape the details, so use this as a guide for what to ask.
Your initial assessment (session one)
The Fees Order allows up to two hours for an initial consultation. It describes that time as covering the assessment, designing your programme and coordinating equipment, with the exercise physiologist working one-on-one with you throughout. Plenty of it is conversation.
You may be asked how the injury happened and what your job involves hour by hour. Questions about what your doctor has said, and what worries you most, usually come up too. Movement and strength checks often follow. The aim of the visit is a starting point and a draft plan, not a hard workout.
What to bring:
- Your claim number and your case manager’s contact details
- Your latest certificate of capacity, plus any referral letter, scan results or letters from other doctors
- A short description of your work duties (a position description helps)
- A list of what you take for pain or other conditions, including over-the-counter products
- Comfortable clothes and supportive shoes
Your exercise sessions (session two onwards)
Later sessions can run up to an hour. The Fees Order describes them as covering the programme itself, monitoring your progress and rechecking the psychological and social side of recovery, such as stress or worry about work. That last part is built into the fee item, so it’s expected, not a sign something is wrong.
Where the exercises happen depends on your plan and your insurer. Gym or pool fees need the insurer’s approval first, and home visits or telehealth depend on your location, your injury and what’s been approved, so ask what’s possible.
A typical session may start with a quick check-in on how you’ve been since last time, move on to the main exercises, and finish with a note of what changed. Some plans mix supervised sessions with a few exercises to do between visits. Ask which approach yours uses, and what to do if a day goes badly.
Safety and comfort
Exercise can feel uncomfortable, especially after a stretch of resting. That’s different from pain you’re pushing through in silence. If something hurts, say so on the spot, and your exercise physiologist can change the exercise, the load or the order. If you have a fall, a new injury or a flare-up between sessions, tell them and your doctor before the next visit.
A programme is meant to be adjusted. If you can’t manage part of it, that’s useful information for the plan, not a failure. If you’ve had surgery, or you’re managing other conditions alongside the injury, say so at session one so the plan reflects it.
Progress tracking and return-to-work goals
Progress gets written down. Under the Fees Order the exercise physiologist can send a progress report when the referrer asks for one, and a final report at the end. The Clinical Framework’s first principle is to measure and demonstrate whether treatment is working, so ask what they will measure and how often. It’s also reasonable to ask for results in plain terms: where you started, and where you are now on things like how long you can stand or how much you can carry.
Return-to-work planning is shared between several people. Your doctor sets out what work you can do on your certificate. Your employer might offer suitable duties. Some claims also involve a workplace rehabilitation provider. WorkCover WA describes these providers as people who can assess functional capacity, advise on safe duties and workplace changes, and help develop a return-to-work programme. You have the right to choose that provider, even if someone else makes the referral.
CONCLUSION
Your Next Steps
If you’re weighing up WorkCover WA exercise physiology, most of this guide comes down to one idea. The insurer pays for treatment it considers reasonable for the injury on your claim, and a clear written plan is how that case gets made. So the order matters. Claim status first, then your doctor’s view, then the plan and the approvals.
- Not sure your claim has been accepted? Keep every receipt until it is.
- You choose your provider. Check approvals with your case manager before the first booking, especially for gym or pool fees and long travel.
- Ask about any gap between the clinic’s fees and WorkCover WA’s rates before your first appointment.
- Ask which treatment plan applies to you, what triggers it and what it should say about your job.
- Take your claim number, your latest certificate and a description of your duties to session one.
Questions worth putting to any clinic before you book:
- Do you bill WorkCover WA, and do your fees sit within its set rates?
- Which treatment management plan applies to my claim, and who completes it?
- How long is the first session, and what should I bring?
- Can sessions happen at home, by telehealth or somewhere close to my work, and does my insurer need to approve that first?
If you’re in or near Perth, our Belmont clinic is one place to start, and the team can talk through home visits and telehealth for your situation. Whichever clinic you choose, the same questions apply.
The next step can be small. A short call is enough to find out what to ask, and what your insurer might need, before you commit to anything.
Frequently Asked Questions About Exercise Physiology Under WorkCover WA
Will exercise physiology hurt?
Exercise can be uncomfortable at first, particularly if you’ve been resting for a while, but you shouldn’t have to push through sharp or worsening pain in silence. Tell your exercise physiologist what you’re feeling during the session, and they can change the exercise, the load or the pace. If pain is worse afterwards, or you’re unsure what’s normal for your injury, check in with your doctor. This is general information, not personal medical advice.
Can I do exercise physiology if I’m still on painkillers?
Whether it’s suitable is a question for your doctor, who knows your injury and your prescriptions. Tell your exercise physiologist about everything you take at the first session, including over-the-counter products, so they can plan around it. If your doctor has put restrictions on your certificate of capacity, mention those too. They may contact your doctor to confirm anything they’re unsure about.
How long until I can return to work?
Nobody can give you a date up front. It depends on your injury, your job, how your recovery goes and what your doctor puts on your certificate of capacity. Your exercise physiologist can help set work-related goals and report on progress, and some claims involve a stepped return through suitable duties. Ask your doctor and case manager what timeline they’re working to.
Can I do exercise physiology at home?
Sometimes. Healthstin has home visits and telehealth services, but whether either suits your claim depends on where you live, your injury and your insurer. The Fees Order treats travel as a separate item, and travel time over one hour needs the insurer’s approval beforehand. Ask the team about options for your suburb before booking.
What if my job is physical, like construction or nursing?
Your exercise physiologist typically asks what a normal shift involves: what you lift, how often, how long you’re on your feet and whether you work at heights or with patients. A programme can be built around those demands. Your doctor’s certificate sets out which duties are safe at the moment, and if your employer offers suitable duties, the plan can take those into account.
What if my job is office-based?
Desk work has its own demands, such as long periods of sitting, repetitive tasks and driving between sites. Your exercise physiologist can ask about your setup and routine, then plan exercises around them. Say if travel or time in a vehicle is part of your working day, because that counts too. A workplace assessment may also be an option through your insurer or a workplace rehabilitation provider.
Will my employer know I’m doing exercise physiology?
That depends on your claim. Your employer is often part of return-to-work planning, and the insurer may share information about which duties you can do. The details of your treatment are a different matter, so ask your case manager what gets passed on, and to whom. You can also ask your clinic how it handles your information.
What if I can’t afford to travel to Perth for sessions?
WorkCover WA says reasonable travel costs can be claimed when your employer, their insurer or a doctor requires you to travel to an appointment or rehabilitation provider. Regional workers may also be able to claim reasonable meals and accommodation. Insurers pay the rates WorkCover WA sets, so keep a record of kilometres, appointment times and receipts, and check with your case manager before you travel.
Can I stop if exercise physiology isn’t working?
You can raise it at any time. You choose your provider, and you can take concerns to your exercise physiologist, your doctor or your case manager. It helps to tell them before you stop, so your plan, your certificate and the insurer all reflect what’s happening. If the sessions aren’t suiting you, a change of approach or provider may be possible.
What if I get injured again during exercise physiology?
Tell your exercise physiologist straight away, and see your doctor if you need to. A new injury or a flare-up of the old one may need a fresh look, which can mean the plan pauses or changes. If the new injury happened at work, your insurer may need to be told. Ask your clinic how it records and reports incidents.
Is exercise physiology the same as a gym membership or personal training?
No. An exercise physiologist is an allied health professional with a university degree. They assess your injury, build a plan around your job and goals, and report to the insurer. A gym membership on its own is access to equipment, and personal training is usually aimed at general fitness goals. An exercise physiologist works from your injury and your claim. In the Fees Order, gym or pool fees are a separate item that needs the insurer’s approval first, so don’t sign up and expect to be reimbursed.
Will my case manager check on my progress?
Your case manager can ask for progress information. The Fees Order includes progress and final reports from the exercise physiologist, plus time for communication and case conferences between providers and others involved in your claim. So some contact is normal. You can also ask your exercise physiologist what they plan to send, and when.
Get a Clear Starting Point for Your WorkCover Exercise Plan
An initial assessment gives you a clear starting point and, where the insurer agrees, a written plan with goals tied to your actual job. It also gives you something concrete to take to your doctor and case manager, instead of guessing.
You can book your assessment online, or call 1300 090 931 and talk it through first. The team can go over your claim details and what your insurer may need, and build the plan around your duties.
If you’d rather start with a question, the contact form is there for that. Book your WorkCover exercise physiology assessment, call 1300 090 931, or send us a message.
AUTHOR & DISCLAIMER
Published: October 2026. Last updated: October 2026. WorkCover WA fees, forms and rules change, so check the current version before you rely on any detail here.
General information only. This article is educational and is not personal medical, legal or claims advice. For advice about your own injury or claim, speak with your doctor, your case manager or WorkCover WA’s Advice and Assistance Service on 1300 794 744.
