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Article: New edition, new controversy.(WORKERS' COMP)
- Article from:
- Risk & Insurance
- Article date:
- June 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2008 Axon Group. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Tens of billions of dollars are tied up in workers' compensation claims for which a physician makes a formal determination of permanent impairment. A new edition of the publication that guides impairment examiners is a big event. The 2008 edition--the first since 2000--has triggered a nationwide debate. Critics believe that it will lead to unfairly low disability awards.
Many of us need to understand what the controversy is about.
The American Medical Association recently issued the sixth edition of the "AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment." The AMA has published guides since 1958. Today, 26 states formally recognize them as sole ...