Worker's Compensation Benefits at Risk

Worker's Compensation is trying to change the laws in NYS to make chiropractic, (among other treatments) limited. Read about the law here.

It is an attempt to save money, but in the long run will make people sicker and make them more prone to disability.

Time is running out to make our personal comments known to the committee. Please write a letter to the committee using such as the following example:
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Cheryl M. Wood
New York State Workers’ Compensation Board
20 Park Street, Room 400
Albany, New York 12207


Dear Ms. Wood:

I am an injured worker and a chiropractic patient in the State of New York. It has come to my attention that the Workers’ Compensation Board has published proposed medical treatment guidelines for use by practitioners working within the Workers’ Compensation system. I am writing to express my concerns regarding the guidelines in their current form.

My greatest concern with the medical treatment guidelines as they are proposed is that I will not be able to receive the treatment I need to continue to fully recover from my injury. The guidelines provide an outline for treatment of a typical, uncomplicated case. If my injury turns out to not be a typical case, then I fear I may be denied the treatment I need. Additionally, if my doctor is using a treatment that is not recommended in the guidelines, but is working for me nonetheless, the doctor may not be allowed to provide that treatment anymore. This is distressing. As a patient injured on the job, my goal is to return to work as quickly as possible and I do not want anything to hinder my ability to get better and go back to my job. Finally, I do not want to be in pain. What will happen if I follow the course of treatment recommended by my doctor but I am still in pain and the guidelines do not recommend any more treatment? I am very worried about what will happen then.

My doctor explained to me that representatives of the chiropractic profession have submitted formal comments and offered specific recommendations concerning the proposed medical treatment guidelines to make sure that only appropriate and necessary care is rendered to injured workers in New York State. I urge you in the strongest possible way to carefully review these submissions and adopt those changes where necessary and appropriate.

I hope that my comments, and the comments submitted by state chiropractic organizations provide you with a comprehensive overview of the injured worker under chiropractic care, and the chiropractic profession’s concern with the current version of the proposed New York State Workers’ Compensation Board Medical Treatment Guidelines.

Sincerely,


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