The following quote is from a retired workers Compensation Judge.
"I haven't seem much to show me the new improved evaluation system and accompanying orgy of rule making has improved the process. Evaluation whether in represented or unrepresented cases is increasingly resembling Frankenstein's monster, with various bits and pieces falling off and being added at random. This is of course, one person's opinion and I don't wear a robe or a horsehair wig these days..."
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
About the Emperor
Perhaps I should be tad less cryptic about the EMPEROR reference in the heading.
The reference is to a children's story where the Emperor is told the clothes are invisible to anyone who was either stupid or not fit for his position. Despite not seeing his own clothes, the Emperor parades himself naked rather than admit there is a problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Clothes
The parallel that I am suggesting is the State government entities that are in control of Workers Compensation in California are well aware of the problems, but the official policy everything is fine.
Everything this is so fine that:
QMEs are leaving the system in droves
The injured worker many times find that the panel of three QMEs submitted to them no longer perform QMEs requiring a request for another panel.
As of this writing there are no new classes to train new QMEs
In some specialties, you can no longer form a panel of three QMEs
In some cases it can take over a year to get an AME report
It is hard for some accepted claim injured workers to find a doctor that will treat them.
Injured workers often have difficulty in finding legal representation if they had a prior injury, due to the new apportionment laws.
The reference is to a children's story where the Emperor is told the clothes are invisible to anyone who was either stupid or not fit for his position. Despite not seeing his own clothes, the Emperor parades himself naked rather than admit there is a problem.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor's_New_Clothes
The parallel that I am suggesting is the State government entities that are in control of Workers Compensation in California are well aware of the problems, but the official policy everything is fine.
Everything this is so fine that:
QMEs are leaving the system in droves
The injured worker many times find that the panel of three QMEs submitted to them no longer perform QMEs requiring a request for another panel.
As of this writing there are no new classes to train new QMEs
In some specialties, you can no longer form a panel of three QMEs
In some cases it can take over a year to get an AME report
It is hard for some accepted claim injured workers to find a doctor that will treat them.
Injured workers often have difficulty in finding legal representation if they had a prior injury, due to the new apportionment laws.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
The begining
Smarterce.com is an educational site for the continuing education of QMEs and soon other professionals. As such, an effort has been made to stay away from the political side of Workers Compensation in California.
This Blog spot can open the discussion on the state of affairs in California Workers Compensation without compromising the ideals of the educational site.
Much of what is happening in Workers Compensation reforms has nothing to do with providing better care to the injured worker. Power plays, corporate and government corruption are becoming daily occurrence.
My pet peeve currently, is the reliance on the WCAB to penalize the fraud when the judges want nothing to do with it.
I have been in the QME system since the first group of QMEs. I thought I had a good grip of what was happening in the system. My eyes were opened wide when I started to appear at WCAB hearings.
There I saw:
$100,000 bills for strained backs.
Judge wad up file and throw at the attorney because they were on another judge's preprinted paperwork.
Injured workers crying because the insurance carrier, despite more than one order to provide care, had not.
Judge proudly proclaim, " I never have and never will issue sanctions".
I will add more to the list as we move on, believe me there is much more.
This Blog spot can open the discussion on the state of affairs in California Workers Compensation without compromising the ideals of the educational site.
Much of what is happening in Workers Compensation reforms has nothing to do with providing better care to the injured worker. Power plays, corporate and government corruption are becoming daily occurrence.
My pet peeve currently, is the reliance on the WCAB to penalize the fraud when the judges want nothing to do with it.
I have been in the QME system since the first group of QMEs. I thought I had a good grip of what was happening in the system. My eyes were opened wide when I started to appear at WCAB hearings.
There I saw:
$100,000 bills for strained backs.
Judge wad up file and throw at the attorney because they were on another judge's preprinted paperwork.
Injured workers crying because the insurance carrier, despite more than one order to provide care, had not.
Judge proudly proclaim, " I never have and never will issue sanctions".
I will add more to the list as we move on, believe me there is much more.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)