A Medical Exam Like No Other: The Independent Medical Exam
In most cases, you can usually return to your job a short amount of time after an injury. Your work-related mishap is covered, fortunately, by your employer's workers' compensation insurance. This valuable coverage extends to cover some much-needed time at home and also pays the full amount of any needed medical treatment. Not all injuries heal properly and in a timely manner, and when that happens, you may need to have a special exam. Read on to learn about the independent medical exam (IME) and its effect on your workers' comp benefits.
Why me and why now?
This exam is only scheduled when you are not able to return to your job in a given amount of time. Once you receive the letter from workers' comp, you must comply, or you could lose the benefits you have been relying on to pay your medical treatment and to replace your salary (at least partially). The purpose of this exam is to give the insurance carrier more information about where your injury stands as far as healing goes. Here are a few tips for handling this exam, which should be taken very seriously.
Tips for the IME
1. Don't expect to receive any treatment or medical advice from this doctor; they are hired by the workers' comp insurance agency for the sole purchase of evaluating your injury and the progress in healing.
2. Under normal circumstances, you are protected by HIPAA laws, which means that you can trust your health care provider to keep your medical information confidential. Be warned that this will not be the case with this examination; anything you say and any medical findings will be reported directly to the workers' comp insurance agency.
3. Prepare yourself for this exam by reviewing your notes, medical records, and claim statements thoroughly. You may be asked to give a summary of the accident, your treatments up to now and the way the injury is still affecting your ability to do your job. If you need to, don't hesitate to bring your notes into the exam room with you. Now is not the time to make guesses or estimations, you need to provide 100% accurate information to the doctor.
4. The doctor will carefully examine you, focusing on the body part or area that triggered your claim. You will probably be subjected to some form of manipulation to test your level of discomfort and range of motion. Don't be shy about expressing how much pain you are in at any time.
5. If the results of your MMI mean returning to work before you have healed, speak to a workers' comp attorney right away.
Contact a law office like Madden Law Firm The for more information and assistance.