What is an Independent Medical Examination?
An Independent Medical Examination (IME) is an examination carried out by a doctor who is not normally involved with the individual patient’s care. This typically occurs after a workplace injury, in which the injury may require a second opinion to see if the individual may require compensation.
An IME is often requested by an employer to their employee or an insurance company to a policyholder. The doctor that carries out the IME is appointed by the employer or insurer to determine the extent of a person’s injuries or disabilities. IME’s are regular parts of workers’ compensation processes and general personal injury or disability claims. In the case of workers’ compensation, the report following an IME directly relates to the level of compensation a workers may receive.
IMEs are meant to be impartial. However, they are widely believed to be biased. Because IME doctors are usually referred to and paid by an employer or insurance company, it is often believed that they have an incentive to limit compensation. In addition, because the examinations are not carried out by a individual’s regular doctor, there is a concern as to how well an IME can provide them proper recommendations even if they are not biased.
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