New York: Regulators announce updates to treatment guidelines

Reducing costs and administrative delays are among the goals of the New York Workers' Compensation Board. The panel announced planned changes to the medical treatment guidelines adopted in 2010.

"These improvements, crafted from discussions with our stakeholders and two years of experience with medical guidelines, will simplify process, reduce friction costs, curb inappropriate care, and improve medical outcomes," said Jeffrey Fenster, the board's executive director.

The revisions include:

Adoption of a new guideline for carpal tunnel syndrome.
Adoption of a new maintenance care program for chronic pain as part of the existing back, neck, shoulder, and knee medical treatment guidelines.
Minor clarifications/modifications to existing medical treatment guidelines.
Process and form changes recommended by stakeholders.

CWCI: Medical provider networks effective, but reforms raise questions (04/08/13)
WC systems increasingly eye treatment guidelines (12/10/12)
State considers treatment guidelines through rule change (12/10/12)
Executive Summit speakers weigh in on comp challenges, solutions (11/03/11)
CMS proposal could add layer of complexity to comp cases (08/02/12)

The proposed regulations will require a formal 45-day comment period before becoming effective.

The board has "the benefit of more than a year and a half of experience and extensive feedback from both internal and external stakeholders on the existing MTGs and processes," the board said in a statement announcing the revisions. "While the Board has already made some minor modifications administratively, it will undertake its first regulatory modification of the medical treatment guidelines to be effective February 1, 2013."

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

December 17, 2012

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