After posting last week on the politicization of the physician dispensing issue in Hawai’i, I heard from a number of stakeholders alarmed by that – and other issues.
Chris Brigham, MD, has been following what can only be described as an effort to eviscerate Hawaii’s workers comp system. He contributes these observations to MCM.
The Aloha State has been friendly to physician dispensing and to certain legislative officials, including Senator Clayton Hee, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Labor Committee, receiving funding from individuals and entities associated with physician dispensing companies [Hee’s contributors were identified in MCM last week; last week I referenced a physician dispensing cost control bill that would take steps to deal with this issue, however the bill is likely to end up in the Committee and die.]
Physician practices involved in physician dispensing lobbied very actively for another bill, a bill that would effectively thwart the independent medical evaluation process in Hawaii.
HB 466 was passed this week by the State’s Joint Committee on Judiciary and Labor and the Committee on Health (chaired by Senator Josh Green, MD, who has also been the recipient of fund raising by interests aligned with physician dispensing companies.) This bill would require independent medical evaluations (IMEs) to be performed upon mutual agreement of the injured employee and the employer. The attitude and behavior of the treating physician heavily influences the patient; if the treating physician feels threatened by the IME physician, it’s likely the treating doc will advise the patient to reject the evaluation. Thus, what this bill really means is the treating doctor and employer have to agree on an IME. If there is no agreement, the evaluation is assigned by the director to a doctor from a list of qualified physicians maintained by the state.
At the hearing, a physician who heads up a large practice involved in physician dispensing stated he would be pleased to provide names of physicians qualified to be on the “list”. Interestingly, documents reveal that certain physicians charge a fee of $3500 for an IME for one of their own patients and the resulting five page report. Curious how a doctor could perform an “independent” evaluation on his own patient…
This bill also limits IMEs to one per case, unless valid reasons exist with regard to treatment. How does this deal with various issues that occur during a life of a claim and to multiple problems? What is the rationale or need for this legislation? No studies have been performed to demonstrate a problem. Hawaii has been known for high quality IME reports and, according to data published in the AMA Guides Newsletter March / April 2010; Hawaii has the highest degree of accuracy in impairment ratings in the country.
How is this state going to deal with changes that are likely to dramatically increase costs and result in delayed case closure? This is particularly problematic given Hawaii’s state budget shortfall. This legislation appears to be responding to a non-existent problem, rather than addressing any issue of questionable care. If decision makers are rational, recognize the true issues, understand there is no money to pay for the proposed needless changes, and do not make decisions influenced by who sponsors their campaigns, there is still a slim opportunity for defeat. I’m not optimistic.
In terms of thwarting bad care, could it get worst for Hawaii? Yes.
The same parties are advocating passage of a bill to allow the Director to approve treatment plans without a hearing if they are disputed by the employer, a bill to permit the Director or claimant to reopen cases even years after they are resolved by settlement if a question arises concerning undue influence or the injured worker’s mental competence, and a bill to allow attorney’s fees to be awarded if a claim is prosecuted or defended without good cause. Attempts to bring evidence-based medicine to Hawaii have been thwarted.
What does this mean for you?
Beware of strategies by certain stakeholders who are attempting to alter the workers’ compensation system through legislation to be more “friendly” to them – even if it results in increased costs (human and financial).
Recognize that some of these stakeholders may well be seeking influence through contributions to key legislative decision makers; Money talks. Recognize despite its beauty, not all is perfect in Hawaii – it is a wonderful place to visit, however you probably would not want to have a business or be injured there.
Feb
20
I, and assuredly most honest and logical people involved in WC, appreciate your bringing these backdoor and “in the alley” types of deals to the public. We must make the voting public aware of what is happening to their money, as the funds are ultimately at the costs of the consumers. I recently saw a posts that physicians are going broke, funny how this was not mentioned in that one article, that by the way, was reproduced hundreds of times, but has no significant validity. Talk about leaving the fox to guard the hen house.