September IMR Estimates Have Payers, Providers Worried

By John P. Kamin, ReporterInsurers, providers and labor groups are worried that the skyrocketing number of independent medical review requests could be creating unnecessary costs for all parties involved in the workers' compensation system, while others believe that the trend will not last forever.Initial estimates that independent medical review requests quadrupled from 4,410 in July to more than 16,000 in September could be a sign that the key medical dispute resolution system of Senate Bill 863 is flawed, legislative experts said Thursday at the California Workers' Compensation Foru...