Hi! Back again with a few questions....

[pennilayne]

Hello! We're from PA. My daughter had a slip and fall while working back in July. In Sept. she had a microdiscectomy to repair a "huge" herniated disc at l5-s1. After a round of PT, they wanted her to have more for some strengthing of the muscle around the spine. In the meantime, she got a letter from WC stating her 90 days were up, but the CO. she works for accepted the claim and she is still getting checks every two weeks. On Monday she had an appointment with an IME set up by the insurance Co. She couldnt bend or twist very well and he told her she was still healing. She told him that the cold weather bothers her and she still has numbness in her leg and foot. So, after all of this, now what? What role does this DR. play in all of this and what should be happening next? thanks in advance for your input!

[1171]

The IME provides another opinion and source of information on the treatment plan, recovery progress, disability status and any other medical issues.
what happens afterwards depends on what information the doctor provides your daughter and the carrier.
If your daughter is represented a copy of the medical report will be provided to her atty. if not should request a copy.

[bagpussinamerica]

Hmmmm, She had surgery in Sept? So that is really only four months for recovery. I was told my my surgeon...for the same surgery at the same spot...6 months would be needed and that included physio. Did her treating surgeon state anywhere in recent visits that you were coming up to be ready for MMI? I wasn't ready to be referred to MMI until 6 months, and even then the MMI doctor wrote that I needed another four weeks of physio.

This is a tricky spot for me, since I went through it and ended up having the whole thing re-opened again...so I am still on w/c awaiting more treatment. And I did have a IME review my records etc, and was told that I needed more treatment. So here I am. You just have to wait for the report and work with your atty and your treating surgeon about what they think should be the next step. It doesn't even sound like your daughter had an MMI examination.

[pennilayne]

She hasn't heard anything about MMI, and I don't think she needs to see the surgeon again unless she has any problems. Should someone contact her about that?

[bronco54501]

My ncm keeps saying I'm at MMI, and keeps pestering my surgeon to do the report... He said from day 1 that would not happen untill 2 to 3 years.. well 2 years went by last NOV and he told me not yet might be another year... NCM was not happy, she has brought up the fact that if she wanted to she could send me to another DR and put me at MMI... I had multi injuries and have been put at MMI for two of them. My surgeon has said I will need a new hip within 10 years. It could be next month maybe next year, but highly doubts it will last up to 10 with the work I do.... And even if they do that does not mean no medical treatment,,,..

[1171]

contact her about not seeing the surgeon again?
when they want another IME appointment they will send written notification.
generally communication is minimal and in writing; there are too many cases in the system for regular "how are you?" phone calls from the Insurance company.

[pennilayne]

No, no about being at MMI.

[1171]

it's possible the IME told her she was still healing (not at maximum medical improvement) and will write the opposite to the carrier; but not likely.
3 or 4 days is not enough time to write a report let alone have it received and read by the assigned case adjuster for the carrier and then initiate contact with your daughter.
complex tasks and decisions take much longer when there is more then one claim in the system.
they won't notify your daughter if her disability status has not changed.

[bagpussinamerica]

Originally it was my own surgeon who requested the MMI. Now, since I am back in the system and have been for over a year, it is the w/c who keeps writing to my surgeon asking if I am ready to be placed at MMI. They are pestering him like crazy. I am thinking that if your daughter is ready for MMI, it will be either your surgeon who says so, or the w/c who asks him to place you at MMI. At that point you will be told, and in my case, was referred to another doctor to work out my rating. I had a physical and some other tests...movement, range of motion etc, then had a discussion with this doctor. It was then that she told me what my rating would be, then she put it all in writing and sent that all on to the w/c. When they got that, they worked out a settlement...and stopped my benefits.

[Bad Boy Bad Boy]

IME; The purpose of the IME is only voice their own Medical Opinion. Nothing more, they don't treat the person as their patient, because their not a patient of this doctor. They can offer treatment be done by the persons doctor though, but that is really about all they do.