Doc Group Questions QME Dispute Resolution Proposal

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefRequiring parties to resolve qualified medical examiner (QME) panel disputes before an administrative law judge is not a practical solution, threatens to bog down the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and could increase the number of lien filings, a group representing occupational-medicine physicians says.The Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) Medical Unit sent a letter to practitioners last week saying all objections to and questions about the validity of QME panels that have been issued should be resolved with an administrative law judge. The...