Increase providers' understanding to improve comp system, expert advises

Published: 2011-07-12 12:57:27
Author: Workers Comp Forum | July 11, 2011

"If we work together, everybody wins. That's the culture we want to create," said Bharon Hoag, executive director of the Ohio State Chiropractic Association.

The association recently held a seminar on workers' comp fraud and abuse. Some 29 chiropractic physicians and their staffs attended the daylong event.

"Unfortunately, chiropractors have a reputation of over-utilization with chronic conditions," Hoag said. "Often, the reality is that there is clinical and medical necessity for the care but the communication between the provider and workers' comp was less than accurate. This is often a result of poor recordkeeping or lack of knowledge when it relates to the rules and regulations of the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation."

Instead, Hoag said the association wants health care providers to have a better appreciation for the system and how they can work within it. Education is key.

"A lot of providers really don't understand the rules," Hoag said. "We want our providers to see the value of working with the bureau, not against them. At the end of the day, this is about the rights of the injured worker."

By helping providers better understand the workers' comp process, Hoag says they can become allies in the system. "Not a line item of expense but a good utilization tool to get injured workers back to work as quickly and cost effectively as possible," he said. "Chiropractic care can be a huge factor in balancing the financial factors in workers' comp."

One way chiropractors can help reduce costs in the system is through the holistic approach they use. Hoag says working within the system instead of against it will demonstrate the value of chiropractors to the workers' comp system.

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