MAIB: Brain Injury Support in Tasmania and Speech Therapy Funding
If a brain injury was caused by a motor accident in Tasmania, the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) may fund the treatment and rehabilitation you need, including speech pathology, on a no-fault basis.
What is the Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB)?
The Motor Accidents Insurance Board (MAIB) is a Tasmanian Government Business Enterprise established in 1974, and is the sole provider of compulsory third party (CTP) motor accident insurance in Tasmania. It provides medical and rehabilitation benefits on a no-fault basis to people injured in a motor accident, while still preserving access to common law claims where negligence can be shown.
Unlike some other states, Tasmania doesn't run a separate scheme purely for catastrophic injuries, the MAIB combines general no-fault "scheduled benefits" for all injured road users with a dedicated no-fault lifetime care and support stream for people who are catastrophically injured, including those needing at least two hours of care per day on an ongoing basis.
Who is eligible for brain injury support in Tasmania?
Benefits from the MAIB are available, irrespective of fault, to people injured as a result of a motor accident in Tasmania. This includes drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, pedestrians and other road users. For a brain injury sustained in a motor accident, this can mean access to:
- Scheduled benefits covering reasonable medical, allied health, ambulance, hospital and attendant care costs from early in your recovery
- Lifetime care and support, for people whose brain injury results in an ongoing, significant need for care, where entitlements continue indefinitely and without a monetary limit on ongoing rehabilitation, treatment and care costs
What does the MAIB cover?
Scheduled benefits under the MAIB cover reasonable medical and other health professional costs, ambulance transport and hospital treatment, attendant care, and reasonable travel costs for medical treatment, among other supports. For people with more significant, ongoing needs, MAIB's lifetime care and support benefits extend this further, covering home modifications and vocational support aimed at helping claimants return to paid, supported or voluntary employment where possible.
Speech pathology and the MAIB
Speech pathology falls within the range of health professional services the MAIB can fund as part of a claimant's rehabilitation, alongside services like physiotherapy and occupational therapy. All MAIB service providers whose profession is governed by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) are registered with this agency. Speech Pathologists must be registered with Speech Pathology Australia (SPA) as a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist (CPSP). Your speech pathologist will contact MAIB prior to delivering service, to ensure that the claim has been accepted and if required, the appropriate authority has been received to pay for these services.
How ClearConvo can help
ClearConvo delivers speech pathology assessment and therapy via telehealth across Australia, with experience in the communication, cognitive and swallowing challenges that can follow a brain injury.
For MAIB clients, this can mean:
- Access to consistent speech pathology support from home, a genuine advantage in a state where specialist brain injury services can be concentrated in Hobart and Launceston
- SPA-registered speech pathologists, meeting MAIB's requirement for provider registration before treatment can be funded
- Coordination with your MAIB claims contact or rehabilitation provider to make sure speech pathology fits into your overall claim
Speech Therapy, Brain Injury Support in Tasmania
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Getting started
- If you have an accepted MAIB claim: contact the MAIB on 1800 006 224 or via maib.tas.gov.au to discuss adding speech pathology to your treatment plan.
- If you're setting up ongoing therapy: get in touch with ClearConvo and we can help confirm what MAIB needs from a treatment plan before sessions begin.
This page is general information, not legal or financial advice. Benefits are set out under the Motor Accidents (Liabilities and Compensation) Act 1973 and can change — always confirm current details directly with the MAIB.
