Effective January 1, 2020, New York State now allows more types of medical providers to treat injured workers in the NYS Workers' Compensation System.
New and Current Providers: Who Can Do What
| Provider Type | New For Jan. 1 2020 | Treat | Initial C/R and diagnosis | Initial Disability | Ongoing Disability | Permanency | Depositions | *Pre-Auth & Variance Requests | IMEs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians | Apply Simultaneously to **CMS & WCB | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Chiropractors | Eliminate practice committee role in authorization | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Podiatrists | Eliminate practice committee role in authorization | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Psychologists | Eliminate practice committee role in authorization | Yes physician referral not required | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Physical Therapists | Become Authorized | Yes referral needed | No | No | No | No | No | Pre-Auth Yes Variance No | No |
| Occupational Therapists | Become Authorized | Yes referral needed | No | No | No | No | No | Pre-Auth Yes Variance No | No |
| Physician Assistants | Become authorized | Yes under physician supervision | No | No | Yes | No | Very Limited Circumstances | No | No |
| Nurse Practitioners | Become authorized | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Licensed Clinical Social Workers | Become authorized | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Acupuncturists | Become authorized | No | No | No | No | No | No | Pre-Auth Yes Variance No | No |
*Attending Doctor's Request for Authorization and Insurer's Response (Form C-4 AUTH), Attending Doctor's Request for Approval of Variance and Insurer's Response (Form MG-2)
**County Medical Society
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