Term:	ACOEM
Definition:	Acronym for American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine; typically used in reference to the organization's medical treatment guidelines publication (ACOEM Guidelines) used in many workers' compensation systems for directing medical care.

Term:	ADA
Definition:	Acronym for 'Americans with Disabilities Act'. A Federal law governing the rights of persons with disabilities.

Term:	Administrative Director
Definition:	The office of the chief executive for the workers' compensation system.

Term:	Agreed Medical Examination
Definition:	An impartial medical examination that is agreed upon by the parties to resolve a medical dispute. See also Qualified Medical Examination.

Term:	Alternative Work
Definition:	A term of art in vocational rehabilitation. In lieu of providing vocational rehabilitation, an employer may opt to place the injured worker in a new position subject to the treating physician's approval. See also Vocational Rehabilitation.

Term:	AME
Definition:	Acronym for 'Agreed Medical Examination'. An impartial medical examination that is agreed upon by the parties to resolve a medical dispute. See also QME.

Term:	AOE/COE
Definition:	Acronym for workers' compensation term of art: 'Arising Out of Employment or Course of Employment'. To be compensable, an injury must be found to be 'AOE/COE'.

Term:	Appeals Board
Definition:	Short for 'Workers' Compensation Appeals Board'.

Term:	Application
Definition:	Short for 'Application for Adjudication of Claim'. A form used to initiate the jurisdiction of the WCAB for litigating a workers' compensation claim.

Term:	Apportionment
Definition:	Ascribing a portion of permanent disability to another cause, usually a prior injury, that had, or would have, produced some disability independent of the industrial injury.

Term:	Arbitration
Definition:	An informal dispute resolution method where the issues are decided by a person or panel of persons selected by the parties to resolve a dispute. An alternative to Trial.

Term:	Arbitrator
Definition:	A person vested with jurisdictional powers to resolve a dispute, make findings and decisions outside of the formal processes established for hearings before the WCAB.

Term:	Award
Definition:	A final order for the issuance of a workers' compensation benefit. This may be pursuant to a settlement (often called Stipulated Award) or after a hearing/trial. Often, this term is used in conjunction with the device by which it is rendered, such as 'Stipulated Award' or 'Findings and Award'.

Term:	AWW
Definition:	Acronym for 'Average Weekly Earnings'. All indemnity benefits are determined by a percentage of the average weekly earnings of the injured worker.