The claimant sought entitlement to ACBs, the balance of a partially approved social work assessment (seeking a higher hourly rate), and the cost of catastrophic impairment assessments. The insurer had denied ACBs on the basis that the claimant had not received the claims services and that insufficient information was provided regarding the services allegedly provided. The insurer denied the catastrophic impairment assessments because the claimant proposed them only one year after the accident. Adjudicator Grieves concluded that the claimant was entitled to ACBs of $3,000 per month, subject to the claimant proving that the services had been incurred. She accepted that the claimant required personal care services due to post-accident ankle surgery and knee surgery. She rejected the insurer’s position that surveillance suggested that the claimant was not receiving the services claimed, as the claimant and her family members were able to explain why the claimant and personal care workers were not seen at her house on certain days. Adjudicator Grieves also rejected the insurer’s argument that the payable ACB was calculated based on the specific service provided multiplied by the hourly rate for that service set out in the Professional Services Guideline. She held that the purpose of the hourly rates was to calculate the maximum ACB payable, and that the amount payable by the insurer was based on the rate charged by the service provider (provided that it was reasonable and not excessive) for whichever services were provided, subject to the statutory maximum and/or the Form 1 total. The denied portion of the social work assessment was also awarded. Adjudicator Grieves held that $135 per hour was a reasonable rate for a social worker, rather than the $100 approved by the insurer. Finally, the catastrophic impairment assessments were denied as being not reasonable. Although the claimant was approaching her combined medical and ACBs limit, she could not apply for a catastrophic impairment until the two year mark unless her condition was unlikely to improve. The medical evidence suggested that the claimant continued to show medical improvement. Additionally, the assessors proposing the catastrophic assessments did not explain why each of the proposed assessments was reasonable or necessary.
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