The Georgia State Board of Workers Compensation has created a certification program for medical providers called the Medical Providers Workers’ Compensation Professional Program (MPWCP). Once you complete the training requirements you can become part of the State Board’s Medical Network. This network is used by employers to choose physicians for their posted panel. The employers can search the data base by Zip Code for providers that have completed the training. Each provider has a detailed questionnaire attached to their contact information. The employer access to the network is free and the only charge Physicians is the certification and recertification fee pay ($395 for physicians and $250 for non-physicians for the certification and $195 for annual recertification). To learn more about this program please go to http://www.rmitraining.net.
Please note in addition to being a provider that typically can be listed as on a panel we also encourage employers to create a preferred specialty list.
A preferred specialists list can be used in conjunction with a traditional panel. It is a tool which is designed to help ensure injured workers are referred only to providers who are trained in workers compensation such as the participants who go through the MPWCP program. This list is typically comprised of specialists or services which your injured workers may need but they are not typically placed on panels. This list may include but is not limited to neurosurgeons, podiatrists, psychiatrists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, pain specialists and chiropractors. The list may also include facilities which perform services such as imaging, EMG’s and nerve conduction studies, physical therapy and functional capacity evaluations. Typically employers and insurance companies populate their panels with Physicians who are appropriate for treating and evaluating the initial injury. For example: If an injured worker has a back strain typically seeing a Spine Surgeon as the initial provider is not warranted. This is why they are typically recommended to see a gatekeeper type physician first such as an Occupational Medicine specialist. However by being on the employers preferred specialist list, if the injured worker needs additional care the “gatekeeper “ provider will refer to the appropriate provider on the specialist list.