Welcome to the Constant State of…

This morning the DWC announced emergency regulations 36.7 and 46.2 are being re-adopted for another 90 days.

What does this mean for your practice? It just means everything keeps going, just as “normal” as it has been for the last 18 months or so.

Photo courtesy of marcus eubanks

Doc-in-a-box
Doc-in-a-box

I began maintaining a list of MPN providers about a year ago specifically because I find them so frustrating. ((Photo courtesy of aussiegall)) (Explanation of the photo on the right ((A “doc-in-the-box” is a derragotry phrase for a physician who is, for lack of a better term, in someone’s “pocket.”  Doctor Who is a is a British sci-fi television show about someone called “The Doctor” who travels through time in a police box.  The photo on the right with the caption is my attempt at humor.)) ) Admittedly, a year ago I was an Applicant’s attorney, but that’s besides the point.  Even as a workers’ compensation defense attorney and I’m still frustrated by MPN lists.

In order to find a treating physician with an MPN you need to have a conflagration of events.   The right Medical Provider Network link to the right website for the right carrier with the right password.

According to the Division of Workers’ Compensation website, there are 1,334 official and approved Medical Provider Networks for California.  Unfortunately, the Division of Workers’ Compensation list of MPN’s is almost completely worthless since it doesn’t include a website link or other useful information about these various Medical Provider Networks.  The most useful part about the DWC’s list of MPN’s is that it will tell you whether or not a particular employer/self-insured/insurance company has an MPN.  There is a lot of amount of duplication on the official MPN list.  I would estimate there are really only about 500 or so unique Medical Provider Networks operating in California.

In any case, I’m maintaining a list of Medical Provider Networks links and passwords.  If you know of any additional MPN websites, logins, or passwords, please drop me a line and let me know.  Right now, I’m looking for updated links and passwords for:

  • Concentra MPN (Medical Provider Network)
  • CorVel MPN (Medical Provider Network)
  • Keenan & Associates MPN (Medical Provider Network)

Hopefully workers’ compensation professionals on both sides will find this information useful.

In a prior post I talked about the top five PDRater.com features that make your life easier.  But, when was the last time you thought about your office staff, hmm?

How can you make their job easier?  Well, the good news is you don’t have to, I’ve given you all the tools to make your office run faster and more efficiently, saving you time and money.

  1. American Idol, Top 5
    Top 5

    MPN’s.  Medical Provider Network lists, complete with logins and passwords.  Whether you’re on the applicant or defense side, your staff is going to need access to these lists.  You can find a doctor for your client or so you can give a list of doctors to opposing counsel.

  2. EAMS DWC to ADJ Number Search Engine. Chances are you’ve got cases with more than one “legacy” Board file number.  With this search engine, you can search for the corresponding EAMS ADJ numbers.  And, you can search for as many Board (or ADJ) numbers as you want at the same time, just by separating them with commas.
  3. EAMS Office Search Engine. When your staff is filling out documents for you, they’re going to need to know the correct name and address for all the parties.  When they need to call opposing counsel, they can also look up the phone number with this search engine.
  4. EAMS Document Type and Document Title Search Engine. Your staff needs a quick way to find the exact EAMS document type and EAMS document title for every document cover sheet getting filed with the Board.  Sure, they could comb through four or five pages of 3 point font on the Board’s form.  Or, better yet, they could search and find exactly the document type and title they need.
  5. EAMS Body Part Codes. There are 62 different body part codes in the EAMS system.  There’s no need to keep the EAMS chart on hand, just tell your staff what body part you want on the form and have them look it up on this website.
  6. DWC / WCAB  / EAMS Forms. There are now more than 130 different forms, new and “legacy”, available on the DIR website.  There’s no reason your staff should have to scroll up or down looking for the right form.  Type in a few characters and get a direct link right to the exact form you need.
  7. Date Calculator. Sure, everyone in your office could have their own date wheel.  In my experience, date wheels and money charts are two of the most commonly swiped office aides right after the good stapler and scotch tape.  With a date calculator built into the website, all of your staff can quickly and easily calculate the number of days between two dates or what day it will be in a certain number of days.

So, there you have the top 5, er 7, PDRater.com website search engine and workers’ compensation calculators your staff is going to benefit from using.  Registration for this site is quick, easy, and free.  Save your staff some time and frustration by having them register for this website and try out the calculators, search engines, and links.

More updates!

Now there are two links to the CCR’s. Its easier to search by code section through the DIR website, BUT its easier to search for a particular phrase through the Westlaw link. FYI: You don’t need a Westlaw account to use this service!

Have you seen the draft proposed 2009? Download it and take a look! Setting aside the issues of whether it will result in PD increases or decreases, there are some interesting changes from the 2005 schedule. This draft propsed 2009 schedule changes how age modifies a rating and completely revamps the FEC rank system. For more information, check out the DWC Newsline.

Are you fascinated by Benefits Notice Manuals? You’re in luck! Revised April 9, 2008.

What other downloads and links are you interested in? Drop a comment below or shoot me an e-mail.