Reviewing medical records prior to the workplace injury is important to establish a baseline prior to an occupational injury.
Once there has been an injury, look to see if there has been a pain free interval which can suggest that the current pain is the progression of underlying disease and not due to the specific workplace event. Dr. Dubin says this is particularly true with spinal stenosis. Getting functional capacity tests is also helpful.
When Dr. Dubin reviews medical documentation he looks for lack of correlation between what the x-ray looks like and extent of disease, particularly with back and knee injuries. Misunderstandings about the significance of bulging discs, etc. is very important.
If your medical director IS doing these things you are lucky. If not, you’ll need to teach them. You want this done PROACTIVELY, not after the claim has been accepted and paid.
Click on these links to try it for yourself.
WC Calculator: www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/calculator.php
TD Calculator: www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/transitional-duty-cost-calculator.php
WC 101: www.ReduceYourWorkersComp.com/workers_comp.php
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel before implementing any cost containment programs.
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