9/19/2012 IWCC Medical Fee Advisory Board Update

An initial update from the IL Workers' Compensation Commission's Medical Fee Advisory Board September meeting...

IL Administrative Code Updates

At its September 11, 2012 meeting, the IL General Assembly's Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) issued Certificates of No Objection for two separate IWCC updates to the IL Administrative code. The IWCC can now adopt the rules by filing them with the Secretary of State for publication in the Illinois Register. 

• Miscellaneous (50 Ill Adm Code 7110) proposed 3/2/12 and incorporates all of HB 1698/Public Act 97-18’s modifications and updates to the medical fee schedule reimbursement and methodology rules.  (See our previous post with an outline of the major updates)
• Alcohol and Drug Sample Collection and Testing [PDF page 75 of the document] (50 Ill Adm Code 9140) proposed 6/15/12 and incorporates HB 1698/Public Act 97-18’s intoxication & testing requirements.

The proposed rules set forth the process for the collection of blood, urine, breath and saliva. These proposed rules include requirements for documentation, transportation and disposal of samples collected, as well as associated records. The proposed rules also set forth the qualifications for those collecting samples.

The effective dates of the IL Administrative Codes will appear when published in the Illinois Register.

 

IWCC Dental Fee Schedule 

The Medical Fee Advisory Board finalized and voted to recommend a dental fee schedule. For a more detailed overview of the debate and formation of the dental schedule, the Advisory Board’s June meeting minutes are now available on the IWCC website.  Previously, all dental care reimbursed at the IWCC default rates:

…For treatment between 2/1/06 - 8/31/11, the default is POC76, meaning payment shall be 76% of the charged amount. Effective 9/1/11, all default payments are 53.2% of the charged amount (POC53.2). Parties are always free to contract for amounts different from the fee schedule.

As of this morning, the IWCC website did not include the updated dental fee schedule information. We will post another update when the IWCC publishes the rates and effective date of the new fee schedule.