Glossary
Term: | ACOEM | |
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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 | |
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Definition: | Acronym for 'Americans with Disabilities Act'. A Federal law governing the rights of persons with disabilities. | |
Term: | Administrative Director | |
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Definition: | The office of the chief executive for the workers' compensation system. | |
Term: | Agreed Medical Examination | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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Definition: | Short for 'Workers' Compensation Appeals Board'. | |
Term: | Application | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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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 | |
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Definition: | Acronym for 'Average Weekly Earnings'. All indemnity benefits are determined by a percentage of the average weekly earnings of the injured worker. | |