Independent Medical Evaluation

An independent medical examination is requested by the workers' compensation insurance agency. It is supposed to be an objective and impartial medical examination where the health care provider or doctor is chosen and paid for by the insurance company.
The independent medical examiner is supposed to examine the injured worker, not provide treatment for their injuries. The M.E. is considered an unbiased, neutral, third party who is simply supposed to gather information and provide a report to the insurance company which documents their findings from the examination of the injured worker.

What to expect at an IME?

If you have been injured and your insurance company has requested that you see an independent medical examiner you should be prepared to give a lengthy explanation of your physical history, provide details of your injury, and list your conditions, symptoms, and complaints following the injury. Keep in mind, failure to comply with the doctor's questions or provide adequate information could result in a termination of your workers' compensation benefits.

Critics of the independent medical examination process have doubts to the neutrality of these examinations. In fact, critics claim these examinations are used to diminish the claims of the injured worker and simply tell the insurance company what they want to hear. Unfortunately, given that the independent medical examiners are paid by the insurance company and have a strong incentive to tell them what they want to hear, it is not unusual for them to sometimes misrepresent a worker's actual condition.

With this in mind, work comp experts suggest taking certain steps to bolster your medical claims. For instance, the first step to protect yourself is to bring a family member or friend with you to the examination. Have your friend take notes about the examination and be ready to testify on your behalf if there is a question about the accuracy of the examination. Next, you can also ask for a copy of the examiner's report, be ready to counter inaccuracies in the report, and find out information about the examiner and their relationship with the insurance company if you believe they did not provide unbiased information about your medical condition.