July 1, 2024
Chiropractic in the QME/SIBTF World Up and Coming Events
by Paul J. Marsh, D.C., QME
Chiropractors in California have taken an active approach to better report writing with recent changes and the better pay in the Workers’ Compensation system. Chiropractors are now starting to get back in the game, so to speak.
Recently, the California Chiropractic Association held a QME licensing seminar in the Spring of 2024 and we had over 30 applicants. All of the applicants except a few, passed with flying colors. The course was taught by Dr. Paul Marsh, Dr. Wayne Whalen and Dr. Moses Jacobs, (all chiropractors), and the Honorable Judge Robert Rasp. This is the third lecture that the doctors have worked with Honorable Judge Rasp and have been getting more and more participants on every seminar.
Scheduled for the Fall of 2024on in Saturday, September 7 to Sunday, September 8, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport northern California, in San Francisco near the airport, is another 25-hour QME re-licensing seminar that will help chiropractors to write better and/or more ratable reports.
The team of Marsh, Whalen and Jacobs, enjoys working with Honorable Rasp and in the past have also worked with notable applicant attorney, Lorena Chambers from San Diego, California, along with David Kizer ah another applicant attorney and Com CAAA Member from northern California.
We hope to continue the tradition of better report writing and more quality reports for our readers. Both Dr. Mash and Dr. Whalen have offices with Arrowhead Evaluation Services and lead their chiropractic team field so to speak. Please spread the word if you know any doctors (MD/DC) that are interested in attending and it does not have to be limited to chiropractors as our last seminar had two medical specialists attend as well.
Why is this import to you? Because chiropractors make better report writers overall and are better patient advocates. Countless times I we have seen other medical specialists load up their schedules with so many Qualified Medical Evaluations in one day that they could not possibly take the appropriate amount of time to care for your client. This includes a detailed history, comprehensive evaluation and time spent reviewing records.
Also, chiropractors are more holistic in their thinking and thought process. This means that your future medical care awards are going to be more detailed and patient-centered. For example, when I have an individual with a musculoskeletal condition, , I will address issues pertaining to medications and be specific and list out everything from oral, localized injections (corticosteroids, PRP, etc.) and/or need for topical creams (i.e. compounded). Next, I will address both frequency and duration when it pertains to adjunct care, including but not limited to chiropractic, physical therapy, massage, and acupuncture. After addressing the frequency and duration, more often than not I will comment on the max number needed per year relative to the conditions that your injured worker/patient suffers from. Next, in the future/further medical care section of my reports, I address issues pertaining to durable medical equipment, i.e., braces, supports or supplies. More often than not I find myself awarding the individual, “lifetime repair or replacement of any and all durable medical equipment prescribed prior and/or deemed necessary shortly,” so that there is no confusion as to whether or not additional therapeutic devices will be needed going forward.
Lastly, I will address the exact specific diagnostic tests needed and whether or not medical specialist co-management is clinically indicated, including but not limited to surgical candidacy.
I cannot tell you how many times in reviewing other doctor’s reports I we see a brief one-paragraph future medical care section that says, “and the patient should be able to go back and see their medical specialist should their condition get worse.” This does not help anybody out, including the injured worker/ patient. Knowing this, if you were to pick an individual who took the time to clearly outline this as stated above, it would make you case settle easier and / faster, and in turn cut down what we call frictional costs.
Now that we know that chiropractors will take the time to do a more thorough evaluation and better outline the future/further medical care, I also want to hint to the fact that chiropractors take and/or are better at SIBTF. This is because we take the time with your individual clients to sit down and take their complete past medical history for each and every condition that they suffer from.
While you may think it may looks better on paper that a medical physician’s initials are stamped on it, when you get an SIBTF from a chiropractor or quarterback, you end up getting a more thorough report. B and because of this, it is easier to address to all parties how a preexisting musculoskeletal condition was in part labor disabling in the past and its now combined with the effects with the subsequent industrial injury are now inexplicably intertwined and/or more labor disabling currently.
Simply put, we explain the how and why each medical condition in the past along with appropriate work restrictions affect the applicant’s ability to compete on the open labor market in the future. Combined this with the fact that Arrowhead Evaluation Services has the most number of medical specialists and best locations spread across California gives you a win-win in the SIBTF world.
If SIBTF is something that your firm does not utilize, it is not to worry, you can still help your client out. Simply and contact Simon Thompson in our SIBTF Department and we can get you in touch with a local attorney in your area that does do SIBTF so that you do not leave any monies on the table for your client. By servicing your client in this fashion, if you do not wish to do the SIBTF, you have done “the right thing” in taking care of them no matter what. They are going to remember this for years to come and will be a wonderful referral source in the future.
In summary, the QME and SIBTF future for chiropractors looks bright. We are working hard with well-respected individuals like the Honorable Judge Rasp and in the near future are going to give you some of the best reports