System Participants Debate Impact of Change in Expert Medical Evaluator Statute

A change in the way medical disputes are decided is coming to Florida. Florida Statutes Section 440.13 requires that a judge of compensation claims appoint an expert medical advisor when there are conflicting opinions between the parties' medical experts. Last Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott signed off HB 613, which tweaks the statute so that judges can appoint an EMA of their choice – rather than only those certified by the Department of Financial Services.  Florida only has 150 doctors certified as EMAs, despite being the third most populous state in the nation. Earlier this...