OAR 436-010-0230: Temporary rule language in effect until 10/04/2026. Medical Services and Treatment Guidelines

(1) Medical services provided to the worker must not be more than the nature of the compensable injury or the process of recovery requires. Services that are unnecessary or inappropriate according to accepted professional standards are not reimbursable. (2) If the provider’s chart notes do not provide evidence of frequency, extent, and efficacy of treatment and services, the insurer may request additional information from the provider. (3) All medical service providers must notify the patient at the time of the first visit of how they can provide compensable medical services and authorize temporary disability. Providers must also notify patients that they may be personally liable for noncompensable medical services. Such notification should be made in writing or documented in the patient’s medical record. (4) Consent to Attend a Medical Appointment . (a) An employer or insurer representative, such as a nurse case manager, may not attend a patient’s medical appointment without written consent of the patient. The patient has the right to refuse such attendance. (A) The consent form must be written in a way that allows the patient to understand it and to overcome language or cultural differences. (B) The consent form must state that the patient’s benefits cannot be suspended if the patient refuses to have an employer or insurer representative present. (C) The insurer must keep a copy of the signed consent form in the claim file. (b) The patient or the medical provider may refuse to allow an employer or insurer representative to attend an appointment at any time, even if the patient previously signed a consent form. The medical provider may refuse to meet with the employer or insurer representative. (5) Request for Records at a Medical Appointment . The medical provider may refuse to provide copies of the patient’s medical records to the insurer representative without proof that the person is representing the insurer. The provider may charge for any copies that are provided. (6) Requesting a Medical Provider Consultation . The attending physician or the MCO may request a consultation with a medical provider regarding conditions related to an accepted claim. MCO-requested consultations that are initiated by the insurer, which include an exam of the worker, must be considered independent medical exams under OAR 436-010-0265. (7) Ancillary Services – Treatment Plan . (a) Ancillary medical service providers include but are not limited to physical or occupational therapists, chiropractic or naturopathic physicians, and acupuncturists. When an attending or specialist physician prescribes ancillary services, unless an MCO contract specifies other requirements, the ancillary provider must prepare a treatment plan before beginning treatment. (b) The ancillary medical service provider must send the treatment plan to the prescribing provider and the insurer within seven days of beginning treatment. If the treatment plan is not sent within seven days, the insurer is not required to pay for the services provided before the treatment plan is sent. (c) The treatment plan must include objectives, modalities, frequency of treatment, and duration. The treatment plan may be in any legible format, e.g., chart notes. If the ancillary treatment needs to continue beyond the duration stated in the treatment plan, the ancillary care provider must obtain a new prescription from the attending or specialist physician to continue treatment. The ancillary care provider also must send a new treatment plan to the insurer the prescribing provider within seven days. (d) Treatment plans required under this subsection do not apply to services provided under ORS 656.245(2)(b)(A). (See Appendix A “Other Health Care Providers.”) (e) Within 30 days of the beginning of ancillary services, the prescribing provider must sign a copy of the treatment plan and send it to the insurer. If the prescribing provider does not sign and send the treatment plan, the provider may be subject to sanctions under OAR 436-010-0340. However, this will not affect payment to the ancillary provider.. (8) Massage Therapy . Unless otherwise provided by an MCO, when an attending physician or specialist physician prescribes ancillary services provided by a massage therapist licensed by the Oregon State Board of Massage Therapists under ORS 687.011 to 687.250, the massage therapist must prepare a treatment plan before beginning treatment. Massage therapists not licensed in Oregon must provide their services under the direct control and supervision of the attending physician. Treatment plans provided by massage therapists must follow the same requirements as those for ancillary providers in section (7) of this rule. (9) Therapy Guidelines and Requirements . (a) Unless otherwise provided by an MCO’s utilization and treatment standards, the usual range for therapy visits is up to 20 visits in the first 60 days, and four visits a month thereafter. This is only a guideline and insurers should not arbitrarily limit payment based on this guideline nor should the therapist arbitrarily use this guideline to exceed medically necessary treatment. The medical record must provide clinical justification when therapy services exceed these guidelines. When an insurer believes the treatment is inappropriate or excessive, the insurer may request director review as outlined in OAR 436-010-0008. (b) Unless otherwise provided by an MCO, a physical therapist must submit a progress report to the attending physician and the insurer every 30 days or, if the patient is seen less frequently, after every visit. The progress report may be part of the physical therapist’s chart notes and must include: (A) Subjective status of the patient; (B) Objective data from tests and measurements conducted; (C) Functional status of the patient; (D) Interpretation of above data; and (E) Any change in the treatment plan. (10) Physical Capacity Evaluation . The attending physician must complete a physical capacity or work capacity evaluation within 20 days after the insurer or director requests the evaluation. If the attending physician does not wish to perform the evaluation, they must refer the patient to a different provider within seven days of the request. The attending physician must notify the insurer and the patient in writing if the patient is incapable of participating in the evaluation. (11) Prescription Medication . (a) Unless otherwise provided by an MCO contract, prescription medications do not require prior approval even after the worker is medically stationary. For prescription medications, the insurer must reimburse the worker based on actual cost. When a provider prescribes a brand-name drug, pharmacies must dispense the generic drug (if available) according to ORS 689.515. When a worker insists on receiving the brand-name drug, and the prescribing provider has not prohibited substitution, the worker must pay the total cost of the brand-name drug out-of-pocket and request reimbursement from the insurer. However, if the insurer has previously notified the worker that the worker is liable for the difference between the generic and brand-name drug, the insurer only has to reimburse the worker the generic price of the drug. Except in an emergency, prescription drugs for oral consumption dispensed by a physician’s or nurse practitioner’s office are compensable only for the initial supply to treat the worker, up to a maximum of 10 days. Unless otherwise provided by an MCO contract, the worker may choose the dispensing provider. (b) Providers should review and are encouraged to adhere to the division’s opioid guidelines. See https://wcd.oregon.gov/medical/provider-training/Pages/opioid-guidelines.aspx. (12) Diagnostics . Unless otherwise provided by an MCO, a medical provider may contact an insurer in writing for pre-authorization of diagnostic imaging studies other than plain film X-rays. The request must be separate from chart notes and clearly state that it is a request for pre-authorization of diagnostic imaging studies. Pre-authorization is not a guarantee of payment. The insurer must respond to the provider’s request in writing whether the service is pre-authorized or not pre-authorized within 14 days of receipt of the request. (13) Articles . Articles, including but not limited to, beds, hot tubs, chairs, and gravity traction devices are not compensable unless a report by the attending physician clearly justifies the need. The report must: (a) Establish that the nature of the injury or the process of recovery requires the item be furnished, and (b) Specifically explain why the worker requires the item when the great majority of workers with similar impairments do not. (14) Physical Restorative Services . (a) Physical restorative services include, but are not limited to, a regular exercise program, personal exercise training, or swim therapy. They are not services to replace medical services usually prescribed during the course of recovery. Physical restorative services are not compensable unless: (A) The nature of the worker’s limitations requires specialized services to allow the worker a reasonable level of social or functional activity, and (B) A report by the attending physician clearly justifies why the worker requires services not usually considered necessary for the majority of workers. (b) Trips to spas, resorts, or retreats, whether prescribed or in association with a holistic medicine regimen, are not reimbursable unless special medical circumstances are shown to exist. (15) Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement Guidelines . (a) Lumbar artificial disc replacement is always inappropriate for patients with the following conditions (absolute contraindications): (A) Metabolic bone disease – for example, osteoporosis; (B) Known spondyloarthropathy (seropositive and seronegative); (C) Posttraumatic vertebral body deformity at the level of the proposed surgery; (D) Malignancy of the spine; (E) Implant allergy to the materials involved in the artificial disc; (F) Pregnancy – currently; (G) Active infection, local or systemic; (H) Lumbar spondylolisthesis or lumbar spondylolysis; (I) Prior fusion, laminectomy that involves any part of the facet joint, or facetectomy at the same level as proposed surgery; or (J) Spinal stenosis – lumbar – moderate to severe lateral recess and central stenosis. (b) Lumbar artificial disc replacement that is not excluded from compensability under OAR 436-009-0010(12)(g) may be inappropriate for patients with the following conditions, depending on severity, location, etc. (relative contraindications): (A) A comorbid medical condition compromising general health, for example, hepatitis, poorly controlled diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, autoimmune disorders, AIDS, lupus, etc.; (B) Arachnoiditis; (C) Corticosteroid use (chronic ongoing treatment with adrenal immunosuppression); (D) Facet arthropathy – lumbar – moderate to severe, as shown radiographically; (E) Morbid obesity – BMI greater than 40; (F) Multilevel degenerative disc disease – lumbar – moderate to severe, as shown radiographically; (G) Osteopenia – based on bone density test; (H) Prior lumbar fusion at a different level than the proposed artificial disc replacement; or (I) Psychosocial disorders – diagnosed as significant to severe. [ED. 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