New York Workers Compensation Alliance

New York's Freedom of Information Law is a great tool and can expose government agencies that wish to pursue their own political agenda's rather than what is best for the citizens on our great  Empire State.  Now, the evidence shows that unjustifiably, the NY State Insurance Department tried to keep the hiring of Dr. Christopher Brigham a secret and prevent other potential contractors from bidding on the lucrative contract to develop new medical guidelines for the New York Workers' Compensation system. 

As a result of the Workers' Compensation Alliance's Freedom of Information request, we have discovered that the State Insurance Department requested an exemption from giving "notice" in the New York State Contract Reporter to award Dr. Christopher Brigham a "single source" contract (meaning no bids or requests for proposals) as early as September 19, 2007!  Read the attached proof here. 

This is a full two months prior to Bruce Topman allegedly disclosing this information to the full Medical Guidelines Task Force and four months before the entire fiasco became public.  Something smells  - badly!  But it gets worse!  In order to obtain this exemption for a "single source" contract,  it must be approved by the State Comptroller's office.   The procedures require the State Insurance Department to include in their request the "alternatives considered" to the single source contract.  As you can read in the above letter, the State Insurance Department never provided the Comptroller's office with any "alternatives considered" (such as the Wage Loss Data Institute or New York's own occupational health clinics) and therefore their request should not have been approved by the Comptroller's office. 

It appears clear that that Bruce Topman and the State Insurance Department wanted to "steamroll" Dr. Christopher Brigham down the throats of all the members of the Medical Guidelines Task Force and had been planning to do so at least since August of last year.  Of course, this is what the Business Council of New York State has wanted all along.  You connect the dots...

The process of developing new and fair medical guidelines for injured workers has been irretrievably damaged.  The only way to proceed now is to start from scratch with all Medical Guideline Task Force members fully engaged in an open process leading to fair guidelines which will not cut payments to injured workers any further than the "deform" workers' compensation legislation passed last March.  Perhaps then the stench will clear...

I also contacted the AMA re: an IME that had not in over 25 YEARS worked as a regular doctor came all the way from MASS. to NY to ruin people's lives. the AMA responded they would protect their doctors. ANOTHER JOKE!

Gov. Spitzer,
When you were Attorney General I wrote to you begging for help. I have snever had a work injury and my spinal completely flattened for 15 months leaving with a life time OF SUFFERING for me and my FAMILY because of Bad faith and NEGLIGENCE and CORRUPTION in the Workers COMP. sytem.
YOU KNEW this. Injured workers of NY sent out a news letter to VOTE you in because you were NOT afraid of BIG INSURANCE companies. Then you're in office and you have the NERVE (NO PUN) to stop permanent disability. I am having so much medical problems still chronic pain EVERYDAY fighting the system. I talked to Albany WC even a supervisor Kathy Radcliffe assigned to my case back in 2000 by Pataki. WC is suppose to pay medical for life. THEY REFUSE!
They REFUSE turning a blind eye to people like me and Mary Jeffords in a wheel chair threatening to take benefits AWAY because she asked for more home care. 17 years after she was nearly killed on the job SAVING another employee. OH NO she wasn't given a medal . No a lifetime sentence of HELL just like I.
Yesterday I was applying for Heap I was running out of fuel. Where were you when I was begging for help with WC. Where were you for the past EIGHT years. OH you were WARM (NO PUN) ,your bills were being paid, yuor FAMILY was not suffering because you couldn't WORK. A career I chose to HELP PEOPLE and SAVE LIVES. Where were you being client #9?
You have no idea how you and your family will suffer. But you will find out.
I sent you a full letter of FRAUD and CORRUPTION from WC insurers and , IMEs, costing MEDICARE BILLIONS of DOLLARS. I sent this letter to Hillary Clinton, Schumer, all senators of NY and all Governors across the whole US. Not ONE person good address my claims. WHY. Because you did NOT CARE. What about Mr. Patterson that we voted in. Does he have the same outlook you do. I sure hope NOT. We will find out. I would very much like you to respond to my letter.You owe us "the injured workers of NY" an answer.
Sincerely,
Donna Gilman RN (disabled CORRUPT WC)

Governmental Opposition Swells Against Implementation of the 6th Edition of the AMA Guides

State governments throughout the United States are now delaying implementation of the 6th Edition of the AMA guides as a standard to determine permanent disability. The governmental officials are heeding warnings that the guides do not carry out the legislative intent of the workers’ compensation acts which is to provide a remedial social insurance benefit to injured workers.

http://workers-compensation.blogspot.com/2008/03/governmental-opposition-swells-against.html