Advisory Board Meeting May Advance Preferred Provider Plans

By Bill Kidd, Central Bureau ChiefEfforts to give Illinois employers the right to direct the care of injured workers through preferred provider programs (PPPs) could be pushed forward Oct. 18 at a meeting of the Workers’ Compensation Medical Fee Advisory Board.The meeting also may indicate what future medical fee schedules will look like.House Bill 1698, the workers’ compensation reform measure passed by state lawmakers this year and signed by Gov. Pat Quinn, allows Illinois employers to use PPPs, subject to two basic requirements: The PPP must be approved by the Illinois Departmen...