Medical Regulations

Telehealth and Work Comp

We have fielded many calls at ERD regarding telehealth/telemedicine in workers’ compensation in the last few weeks regarding COVID-19. With the COVID-19 emergency our team thought it appropriate to provide some guidance for stakeholders in Montana. The situation is fluid, so we may update the guidance as needed. Click here for more info.

Guidance

Periodically the Department may post clarifications on the medical fee schedules. These can be located once the user has accepted the website usage permissions and logged into the site. See the Montana Facility Fee Schedule for clarifications.

Reopening of Closed Workers' Compensation Medical Benefits

The process for injured workers to submit petitions requesting reopening of their medical benefits that were statutorily closed by MCA 36-71-704(1)(f), can be found here. This process is only for those dates of injury on or after July 1, 2011.

AMA Guides Stakeholder Forum Slides - September 22nd

On September 22nd, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry Employment Relations Division offered a virtual stakeholder meeting in which Dave Sosnow from the AMA provided a background presentation on the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Impairment - 6th edition, 2021. 

AMA Guides PowerPoint

Montana providers currently use the 2008 version of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment 6th edition when performing impairment ratings. The use of the AMA 6th edition is outlined in MCA 39-71-711, which states that an impairment rating "must be based on the sixth edition of the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment." For this reason, future use of the AMA Guides 6th edition, 2021 would require a legislative change. The Montana Department of Labor and Industry provided this forum for the AMA to present information on the AMA Guides 6th edition, 2021 to Montana stakeholders and provide an opportunity for stakeholders to ask question about this update. 

If Montana stakeholders would like to have a conversation on a local level, DLI can facilitate that discussion –  please send Dr. Maggie Cook-Shimanek, Medical Director, an email. margaret.cook-shimanek@mt.gov.

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