High Court Reverses Appeals Court, Finds Move to AMA 6th Edition Constitutional

The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday said a provision in a 2013 reform measure that required the use of the 6th edition of the American Medical Associations’ Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment was not unconstitutional, as an appellate court ruled in 2018. “The 2013 amendments merely reflect an update to the most recent set of guidelines — which serve as a starting point for any medical opinion,” the high court’s decision in Johnson v. U.S. Food Service reads. Kansas law requires that impairment ratings be established by competent medical evidence and...