The first 90 days: treatment you can get without TAC approval
The services the TAC can pay for in the first 90 days after a transport accident, with no prior approval needed.
The first stretch after a transport accident is when you least want to be arguing about paperwork. The TAC recognises this. It says that in the first 90 days after your accident it can help pay for a set list of treatments and services without you needing to contact it for approval first, as long as they are recommended by your doctor or health professional and are for your accident injuries.
What is on that list
The first-90-day list is wide. It covers allied health and physical therapies such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy and chiropractic; hospital treatment at public, private or rehabilitation facilities; medical services and doctor appointments; x-rays and scans including CT, MRI and ultrasound; initial surgery; medication prescribed by your doctor; basic equipment such as crutches and dressings; community nursing; dental services; mental health services; and travel and accommodation to get to appointments.
Where the 90-day rule stops
Not everything falls under the no-approval-needed window. Some services, such as specialised equipment, surgery more than three months after the accident, supported accommodation and home modifications, need explicit TAC approval even inside the first 90 days. And once you reach the end of the 90 days, continuing treatment needs approval, which is where a Treatment and Recovery Plan comes in.
The practical takeaway: get treatment started on your doctor's recommendation, keep your receipts and referrals, and talk to the TAC before the 90 days runs out if you will need to keep going.
Sources
Transport Accident Commission, "Treatments and services" and "List of approved treatments and services in the first 90 days", tac.vic.gov.au. Checked July 2026.
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Related guides
- How much does attendant care cost, and who pays How the TAC pays for attendant care, how rates are set, and when a gap can arise.
- A quick glossary of TAC treatment terms Plain-English definitions of the TAC words you will run into: AHTRP, Clinical Framework, post acute support and more.
- How TAC funding for treatment works What the TAC pays for after a transport accident, the first 90 days rule, and how payment is set.