Ohio Expands List of Approved Medical Providers for Injured Workers

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) has expanded the list of providers who can treat injured workers and strengthened certification requirements for those providers.

Rules that took effect at the BWC on Jan. 1 add a number of healthcare professionals to those that can be certified to treat injured workers, the bureau announced. These include adult day care facilities, anesthesiologist assistants, independent diagnostic testing facilities and sleep laboratories.

The additions are the result of BWC’s engagement of healthcare professionals, who recommended expanding injured workers’ access to quality providers, as well as provider access to the system.

Certification requirements have also been strengthened to bring them more in line with nationally recognized standards. These include an expanded review of all providers’ credentials to identify those whose licenses are under suspension or revocation, or are subject to disciplinary restrictions in another state.

De-certification protocols for providers with repeated violations of workers’ compensation rules or statutes have been clarified. Under the new rules, providers are given notice of non-compliance, and an opportunity to submit a corrective action plan in cases with established patterns of non-compliance.

The BWC said providers may be de-certified if they are unable to come into compliance, or demonstrate issues reflecting fraud or inappropriate use of injured workers’ information.