After continued implementation of the 2005 reforms to the Texas workers’ compensation system, and legislative review of the system in 2011, 2013 was a year in which system stakeholders and other interested parties were able to step back and evaluate... Read More

Recent noteworthy panel decisions show that the applicant would be wise to present all relevant medical reports and records, and citations to the MTUS, ACOEM, ODG, or other nationally accepted medical standards to the IMR reviewer, and that when a material... Read More

By John Stahl, Esq. Phil LeFevre, who is a Senior Account Executive, with the Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) spent much of a recent webinar entitled “Emerging Trends in Workers’ Comp Treatment Guidelines by State: Has the Fox Been Left... Read More

According to the Department of Industrial Relations Director Christine Baker, “ opioid misuse is a national concern ”. As a result of this “misuse”, the Division of Workers’ Compensation recently posted proposed “ Guidelines... Read More

By Robert G. Rassp, Esq. The current trend across the country is to require evidence-based medicine for treatment of employees who are injured on the job. Statutory and regulatory mandates are emerging on a state-by-state basis. Stakeholders within... Read More

No material mistake of fact exists when IMR reviewer fails to list the actual reports and records reviewed by the IMR physician In Hacker v. County of San Bernardino-Public Health Department , 2015 Cal. Wrk. Comp. P.D. LEXIS --, the WCAB, in a split... Read More

Greater medical consensus could reduce geographic variability A recent study published by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine suggests that there is geographic variation in the use of medical treatment guidelines that reaches... Read More

The most disturbing conclusion that the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) presented in a webinar entitled “Use of Narcotics and Compliance with Guidelines” was that many workers’ compensation claimants (claimants... Read More

By John Stahl, Esq. Phil LeFevre, who is a Senior Account Executive, with the Work Loss Data Institute (WLDI) spent much of a recent webinar entitled “Emerging Trends in Workers’ Comp Treatment Guidelines by State: Has the Fox Been Left... Read More

The most disturbing conclusion that the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) presented in a webinar entitled “Use of Narcotics and Compliance with Guidelines” was that many workers’ compensation claimants (claimants... Read More

HELENA, MT - The Montana Department of Labor & Industry - Employment Relations plans to hold a public comment meeting on April 15, 2010, to obtain feedback from stakeholders on the Department's plan to adopt the Colorado Guidelines as the primary... Read More