Insurance

Usually yes. Most insurers require a GP or consultant referral and will issue an authorisation code before treatment begins. Some policies allow direct access to physiotherapy without a referral. Check with your insurer before your first appointment, because treatment started without authorisation is often not reimbursed.

Direct billing means the clinic invoices your insurer and you pay only any excess. Pay-and-reclaim means you settle at the appointment and submit the receipt yourself. Patients need to know which applies before booking.

Bring your insurer name and policy or membership number, the authorisation or pre-approval code, your referral letter if one was issued, and details of any policy excess. Without an authorisation code the appointment may have to be treated as self-funded and reclaimed later, which is not always successful.

That is set by your policy, not by the clinic. Insurers commonly authorise an initial block of around six sessions and then require a progress report before approving more. Some policies cap physiotherapy by number of sessions, some by annual monetary limit, and some by both.

Shockwave therapy is covered by some policies when it is part of a physiotherapy treatment plan for a recognised tendon condition, but many insurers class it separately and require specific authorisation. Sports massage is rarely covered, as most policies treat it as a wellbeing rather than medical service. Check both with your insurer beforehand.

You pay the shortfall directly to the clinic. This happens where your policy has an excess, where the insurer reimburses a set amount per session below the clinic’s fee, or where your authorised session allowance runs out mid-treatment. Klinica reception can tell you the self-funded rate so you can plan ahead.