What is an AME or QME? How do receive a Panel List?
As workers’ compensation attorneys, we often use industry slang or acronyms to describe certain things. Two of the most commonly used acronyms in Sacramento workers’ compensation cases are AME and QME.
Simply put, an AME is an Agreed Medical Examiner, and a QME is a Qualified Medical Examiner. If your workers’ compensation claim is being delayed or denied, or if you have reached a stage in your treatment where you need to be evaluated to know the extent of a permanent disability, you may require either an AME or a QME. Sometimes, an AME or QME is also used if you disagree with your treating physician about your medical condition.
The physician who performs your examination and evaluation is called a Qualified Medical Examiner (QME). If a workers’ compensation attorney represents you, the attorney and claims administrator may mutually agree to utilize an Agreed Medical Examiner (AME).
How do I obtain a Panel list of QMEs?
If an attorney does not represent you, you have the right to request a panel of physicians selected by the Department of Workers Compensation Medical Unit. Here is a link to the request form.
Injured workers’ most common and critical mistake is selecting the wrong type of QME physician. While the list looks simple, deciding which physician is best for your case can be hard. The Department of Workers’ Compensation recognizes 42 different types of medical examiners, including 11 different types of internal medicine doctors. It can be overwhelming!
Additionally, certain physicians are generally more skilled with complex cases involving cumulative or pre-existing injuries. If you have a serious workers’ compensation injury, there is nothing that prohibits you from requesting a QME on your own, but you run the risk of selecting the wrong type and wrong person and potentially prolonging your case. It is at this juncture that it may be best to seek the advice of a workers’ compensation attorney.
Once you have submitted the request to the Department of Workers’ Compensation Medical Unit, they should send you a list of three QMEs for you to choose from. The panel is usually sent 20 working days or 30 calendar days after your request. Once you have this list, you have ten days to select and make an appointment with that QME. Then it would help if you informed the claims representative that you have selected a QME and when your appointment is scheduled.
If you have additional questions about an AME or QME or obtaining a panel, please do not hesitate to contact one of the workers’ compensation lawyers in Sacramento at Eason & Tambornini, ALC. If you would like to select an AME instead of a QME, please call us so we can determine if your case is one we can assist you in handling.