icare (Insurance and Care NSW)

Also called: Insurance and Care NSW

Definition

icare, or Insurance and Care NSW, is the state government agency that delivers insurance and care services on behalf of the people of NSW. In workers compensation it runs the Nominal Insurer — the default scheme for most NSW employers — and also administers schemes such as Lifetime Care and the Dust Diseases scheme. icare funds and delivers services; it does not regulate them. That regulatory role sits with SIRA. Day-to-day claims under the Nominal Insurer are handled by appointed scheme agents rather than by icare directly.

In practice

For most workers compensation claims in NSW, icare stands behind the cover while a scheme agent manages the file. A referral to a workplace rehabilitation provider is typically approved through that agent under an icare scheme. Nexus receives referrals this way and coordinates return to work across NSW, metropolitan and regional, working to the scheme's rules rather than making the funding decisions.