January 2007 SBH Quarterly Newsletter
PDF FormatUse the Department of Labor & Industries’ Website when Processing Claims
Although the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries’ website
is constantly changing, there are number of useful features. You can quickly
find Provider Bulletins to utilize when discussing compensability of medical
conditions and medical necessity of treatment with attending physicians and
independent medical examiners. Medical rates, vocational services, hearing
aids and your liability on these claims are also included in the Bulletins.
Are you experiencing problems with providers disclosing medical records
based on the HIPAA laws? The Department has a Bulletin on this issue. Do you
need to address whether a surgery is appropriate? The Department outlines
what it requires before finding surgery medically necessary and proper for
multiple conditions. Referring to these Bulletins when discussing a case
with an attending physician and/or IME provider is helpful. It is surprising
how many medical providers are unaware of their existence. Here is the link
for the
Provider Bulletin Directory.
Two other useful tools on the Department’s website include their
IME directory which allows
you to identify potential independent medical examiners by specialty and
location. If you need an interpreter, you can locate an
approved interpreter.