“We commend the superintendent and the NYSID for these guidelines,” said Martin Koles, PIANY president. “When medical care is delayed in a workers’ compensation claim, the employee and employer lose both time and money. These guidelines are a sign that the implementation of workers’ compensation reform is proceeding successfully.”
Currently, New York state does not have medical treatment guidelines tied to workers’ compensation claims, meaning that each insurance carrier and medical professional may have different standards of care for treating injuries. These differing opinions often result in disputes that require hearings to determine the best avenue of treatment; last year alone, more than 120,000 such hearings in New York state took place. These proceedings resulted in delayed care for injured employees and increased expenses for employers.
As a result, the NYSID created the Workers’ Compensation Reform Task Force, which included representatives of labor, business, state agencies, highly respected physicians and other professionals, to create standards of care. The resulting guidelines will standardize treatment for injured workers, reducing the likelihood of disagreement between insurance providers and physicians, resulting in consistent, quality medical care.
PIA, along with many other organizations, has taken an active role in pushing for workers’ compensation reform in New York state. “We continue to look for reform to be implemented and provisions of the law to be applied,” said Koles. “Success of the best practices and other workers’ compensation reform efforts now lies in the application and enforcement.”