Plumb Line Remedial Massage
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Guide

HICAPS and health fund rebates explained

How on-the-spot claiming actually works at the desk, what we can and cannot tell you about your own cover, and what to check with your fund before you book.

5 minute read Updated July 2026

HICAPS is the terminal system most Australian allied health providers use to process a private health fund claim electronically, on the spot, instead of you paying in full and then mailing or scanning a receipt to your fund yourself. Plumb Line has held HICAPS since the clinic opened, and it works the same way for every treating therapist and every extras policy that covers remedial massage.

What HICAPS does not do is tell you, or us, how much your fund will refund. That number is set entirely by your own policy, your fund's benefit schedule and how much of your annual limit you have already used. We are not able to quote a rebate figure, even a typical one, because it genuinely varies enough between funds and even between two policies at the same fund that a stated figure would mislead more people than it helped.

How the claim actually moves

At the desk

Four steps, a few minutes.

The same sequence for every client, every visit.

  1. 01

    Pay the full price

    At the desk, the same as any other payment method, straight after your session.

  2. 02

    Card tapped on the terminal

    Dean taps your private health fund card on the HICAPS machine at reception.

  3. 03

    Claim sent electronically

    The claim goes to your fund before you leave the building. Nothing is posted, nothing is emailed by you afterwards.

  4. 04

    Rebate refunded by your fund

    Whatever your policy allows is refunded to the same card, usually within a few business days.

Before you book

Four things to check with your fund.

A two-minute phone call or a look in your fund's app answers all four.

  1. 01

    Is remedial massage on your extras cover

    Not every extras policy includes it, and some only include it at a higher tier than the basic level.

  2. 02

    Your annual benefit limit

    Most funds set a yearly dollar limit or a number of visits for massage therapy specifically, separate from other extras like physio or dental.

  3. 03

    How much of that limit is left

    If you have already claimed for another therapy this year, it may share the same limit or a different one, depending on your fund.

  4. 04

    Whether a referral is required

    Most policies do not require one for remedial massage, but a small number do. Your fund will confirm this over the phone or in the app.

Two things worth knowing

No cover is not the end of the conversation

If your policy does not include remedial massage, or you do not hold extras cover at all, you still pay the standard session price and there is no claim to process. It is worth checking anyway before your first visit if you are not certain, so there is no surprise at the desk.

A referral is rarely needed, but check anyway

You do not need a referral from a GP to book with us, and most private health funds do not require one to pay a massage benefit either. A small number of funds and a small number of higher-tier policies do, so the two-minute call above is the only way to be certain for your own cover.

Keep reading

The other two.

The desk posture reset

A short daily routine to hold the gains between fortnightly appointments, built around the same posture check we use on the table.

What to expect at your first remedial massage

The intake conversation, undressing, draping and pressure at Plumb Line, explained plainly so nothing on the day is a surprise.

Bring your card

We will do the rest at the desk.

Ring if you would rather ask before you book than at the appointment itself.

(07) 5550 0040

Book an appointment