Independent Medical Evaluation

[FlickerOfHope]

I recently received a low back injury while performing my job. I have been going to the chiropractor for treatment for the past 6 wks. I missed only 3/4 day of work when it first happend. I feel I am ready to be back to work at full capacity, however, the insurance company just scheduled me for an independent evaluation. I am not completely trusting of the insurance company. My questions are...

1) May I request (and expect to get) a full copy of the medical evaluation done by this doctor? Are these "my" medical records or do they belong to the insurance company?
2) I would like to record the exam (as my doctor cannot attend with me). Is it within my right to record my own exam? I don't want to end up later with "hearsay".
3) I have completed the w/c reports and repeated my explanation of what happend 2 or 3 times... At this exam do I have to explain the incident again, or is this suppose to be strictly an exam?

Thank you so much for any assistance. I have read through many of the posts and have gotten a lot of useful information.

[jayne]

this will be a doc that is most likley 70 years old he will read maybe your name and most likley release you back to work full duty.......

[1171]

jayne thinks she's being funny at times. it's not always apparent to first timers.
please, don't think this board doesn't take your questions seriously.

unfortunately work comp rules are state specific. there is no universal answer to your questions. it often varies between different comp systems.
you should expect to be asked for a history of the injury each time. memories and accounts often change over the course of time.

[Deb]

Hi FlickerOfHope,

I can tell you what happened at the IME that I went to:

The doctor asked me lots of questions including the history of what happened. He did a physical examination of me. I have a low back injury so his exam was of my back and legs. He was testing for Range Of Motion (ROM), reflexes, and to see if he believed the injury was caused by what I said. It was really all straight up. He was cold and impersonal but they let you know at the very beginning that he is not a treating physician and only there to evaluate you. Now I can't say that this is what will happen to you. Just as 1171 has stated it really depends on the state that you are in how the laws are setup.

Also, I did get a copy of my examination from the IME doctor automatically cc'd to me at the same time as everyone else received their copy.

I hope this helps you somewhat.
Deb

[jayne]

I was not kidding 1171 and I didnt mean to be funny so back the &&&& off ...he was 70 he didnt even call me by name he hit my knee with a mallet and pronoused me fit to work....I went right from him to the hospital and spent the next 4 days in hospital for an inner ear infection so bad I was puking my guts out and couldnt walk without help not to his office or out of it in fact the nurse on duty was the one to tell my husband to take me to the ER...so I wasnt kidding I was deadly serious and many on here had the same type of Doc.....Remember 1171 IS A WC ADJUSTER....and while he/she is a tremdous help she/he also has never seen our side of it

[sparkey]

First thing to remember is the IC is paying this doctor to do the exam. He will ask you questions of when it happened etc. You should receive a copy of what the doctor will be reading before you go there. He will pick and choose to write in his report what will benefit the IC. He will probably tell you to go back to work and just make sure that he remembers who you are and where he preformed the exam.

My IME doctor the IC paid for did not even get the state right that he did the exam in. Plus he put words in my mouth in my report and made my percentage rate 10% instead of the origional 32% my treating doctor gave me for the PIR rating. They are for the IC and NOT for you.

It took a month to get my report back and I had to keep calling my adjuster to see if it was ready. Most of the time the IC will review it first and then send it to you. At least that is how it was done for me. Just be honest and tell the truth. You will be lucky if he spends all but 10 mins of his time with you and the rest he will make his report by what his paperwork says from what he received before the exam.

I will never ever trust a sly, money hungry IME doctor again. Whatever he puts you at for a rating is what holds up more than the one you have from your own doctor. Hopefully you will have more luck with your doctor than I did with mine. If he does good for the IC by keeping the percentage down, he will be sure to keep getting the IC to call upon him for more cases which means more $$$$ in his pocket. KEEP THAT IN MIND.

[lfoster21]

For me, I have gone to 2 IME's and they were night and day from each other. The 1st one, the Dr. started the conversation by telling me that he was there to examine me and to report his findings. He seemed nice, and told me not to worry about anything. He showed me a list of questions, that he was required to ask and things that he needed to check out. The exam itself lasted 10 mins. including his questions about my history. Then he did a hand full of ROM and as I was walking out of the office, he turned back and said, "oh yeah, let me see you walk" and after 2-3 steps, it was over. In the end, his report stated that I definatly had myofacial pain, but that he did not think I needed the fusion surgery, that my Drs. all wanted me to have.

W/o going into any more details, I will say my 2nd one was a 360 and the Drs. report was completely on my side and said that there was no way that I could return to work.

In both cases, the hippa law allowed for me to get my reports. I did have to put it into writing and the 1st one did take a while, for them to get them to me. As for the recorder, I don't know the law in your state, but I have heard people saythat they took a small recorder to put in their purse, but they did not tell the Dr. they were taping it. I guess some of it would also depend what you were going to use it for. If it was just so you could replay it for yourself, to make sure you did not forget anything that he said, then really who would know or care. If you were planning on using it to give to your Dr. or to use in court, then I would imagine the privacy issue would be a problem.



Good luck and keep us posted.

[Lilly]

Hi.
I believe you can also take someone with you into the exam room as a witness as to what's said and done.
be honest with your answers to his questions, but don't give too much info as it could come back and bite you. Also remember, you may be watched/recorded from the moment you drive into their parking lot.
Here's a great link from BB on the forum, titled "IME BEWARE" read it prior to going....
http://www.cuconsumers.org/CUCFconinfo0031.HTML

take care & good luck, Lilly

[jayne]

And 1171 you owe me an apoligy.....and while I will never get it......I want you to know altho you have tremendous knowledge of your side you have never walked in our shoes and shouldnt put down the knowledge we as IW have.....May you never have to walk in our shoes....And do a poll if you are think you are right.How many on here were treated with a full and complete exam by the IME Doc that holds your future in his/her hands

[stiffnecked]

If the empolyer or the employers insurance company is sending you to the exam it is NOT an IME. It's more appropriately called an EME or an
EMPLOYERS MEDICAL EXAM. That are not meant to be independent.

If your states Worker Comp board sends you to the exam then it's called an IME.