An employee, whose left hand was severely injured in an industrial accident, should not only receive a mechanical prosthetic device that allowed him to manipulate his thumb and index finger; he should also receive a “passive” prosthetic left hand "that looked...
The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission did not commit error when it determined that the running blade prosthetic device requested by claimant was not medically necessary under Va. Code Ann. § 65.2-603. Claimant had suffered a work-related accident, which...
In a divided decision, the Court of Appeals of Oregon held that a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) unit was not a “prosthetic device” under ORS 656.245(1)(c)(D). The majority added that the attending physician’s treatment of claimant’s compensable...
A new analysis of 2015 independent medical review (IMR) outcomes shows there was no significant reduction in IMR volume in the first quarter of this year, even though the independent medical reviewers continue to concur with the utilization review (UR) physician’s...
A new analysis of independent medical review decisions issued in 2014 suggests that the medical dispute resolution process mandated by the workers’ compensation reform bill enacted in 2012 is working to assure that the treatment provided to California injured...
Payments for pharmaceuticals and durable medical equipment (DME) in California workers’ compensation continue to increase sharply, adding pressure against the recent reforms to the system according to a new CWCI study that examines medical and indemnity payment...
A new CWCI study on changes in California workers’ compensation medical payments finds that since accident year (AY) 2005 – the first year after the last round of workers’ compensation reforms – the average amounts insurers pay for medical services on work injury...