Lawmakers Propose Eliminating Medical Fee Schedule, Treatment Guides

Lawmakers in Hawaii have introduced bills that would eliminate medical treatment guidelines and fee schedules and allow physicians to submit treatment plans by email, and resurrected a measure from last year that would allow only doctors who actively treat patients to perform independent medical exams. But observers at this point aren't expecting much to happen with those proposals. Insurance company and injured worker representatives said the Legislature might pass some targeted measures to try to make the system more efficient. But they don't expect to see any major changes to the ...