Court Dodges Question on whether Denial of Preauthorization Equals a Denial of Treatment

An employer's decision to refuse preauthorization for curative medical treatment requested by a paraplegic worker was not necessarily tantamount to denying those services, the Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday. The decision revived the employer's challenge to an administrative ruling by the Department of Consumer and Business Services. In its decision for JRP Construction v. Department of Consumer Business Services, No. 78, however, the court didn't address what the impact of the refusal to preauthorize Gerardo Herrera's travel and treatment should have been, since his ...