By Mary F. Hannon, Attorney at Law
The Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals recently issued a decision providing further clarity in terms of how Maphet applies in situations where an employer authorizes treatment that the worker never pursues.
On December
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Communication with Providers Timeline Ramps Up
By Rebecca L. Fey, Attorney at Law
Effective April 1, 2025, an insurer or its representative has only two days to respond to a medical provider’s inquiry about claim status, accepted conditions, or MCO enrollment. This two day timeline excludes…
What’s going on with LNI’s proposed policy updates regarding LEP?
By Shawna G. Fruin, Attorney at Law
In March 2025, the Department of Labor and Industries (LNI) asked for community comment on proposed updates to its loss of earning power (LEP) policy,[1] prompting many in the self-insured community to…
CRACKDOWN ON IME NOTICE LANGUAGE THAT IS “NONSPECIFIC”
By Isaac S. Conzatti, Attorney at Law
Ordering an IME is one of the most common and important steps to investigating and further processing a claim. This is why it can be extremely frustrating when a suitable IME slot is…
The State of IME Recording in Washington
By Chris E. Fender, Attorney at Law
Recently, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries introduced a six-month-long third-party recording pilot program for independent medical examinations. Why introduce this pilot program, you ask? To answer that question, let’s start with…
Forwarding Prior Medical Records and IME Reports to Attending Physicians/Authorized Nurse Practitioners
By Blake J. Howell, Attorney at Law
Our goal at Reinisch Wilson is to avoid costly and burdensome litigation whenever possible. One area of increasing frequency relates to attending providers filing medical disputes for Department penalties alleging a failure to…
Legal Requirements for a Light Duty Job Offer
By Vincci W. Lam, Attorney at Law
No one wants a work injury to occur, but when it happens, the goal of the workers’ compensation system is to facilitate appropriate treatment and then bring workers back to suitable and gainful…
Alternative Dispute Resolution in Oregon
By Brian M. Solodky, Attorney at Law
Reinisch Wilson P.C. is focused on solving problems for their clients. Adjudication of disputes via trial and appeals is one method of resolving a claim. It goes without saying that the outcome of…
REMINDER! NEW IME NOTICE LANGUAGE REQUIRED AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2024.
By Karen S. Varney, Attorney at Law
OAR 436-060-0095(3)(e)(I) has been revised to require different bolded language in IME notice letters. As of October 1, 2024, the bolded language in IME notice letters must state in bold:
“You must attend…
Reminder! New denial appeal language required as of November 1, 2024.
By Amy C. Osenar, Attorney at Law
I was pleased to recently serve, alongside other industry representatives, on a WCB advisory committee tasked with ensuring denial appeal language is clear and easy to understand. The goal was to allow easier…