Attorneys Say IMR and Add-On Language Will Lead to Disputes

By Greg Jones, Western Bureau ChiefANAHEIM, Calif. – Reducing frictional costs was one of the goals of Senate Bill 863, but attorneys speaking at a conference in Southern California said Thursday there are still ample opportunities for disputes to surface around issues such as independent medical review and the compensability of psychological disorders.To reduce the number of disputes about denied treatment requests being resolved at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, SB 863 requires all challenges to utilization-review decisions go through independent medical review. Another...