Okla. Stat. tit. 85 § 46

Current through Laws 2024, c. 453.

Rule 46 - MEDICAL CASE MANAGERS - APPOINTMENTS

A. Qualifications. To be eligible for appointment by the Court to the list of qualified independent medical case managers and for retention on the list, the applicant must:

1. be a registered nurse with a current, active unencumbered license from the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, or possess one or more of the following certifications:

a. Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS);

b. Certified Case Manager (CCM);

c. Certified Rehabilitation Registered Nurse (CRRN);

d. Case Manager - Certified (CMC);

e. Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN); or

f. Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S);

2. be highly experienced and competent in the field of medical case management as it relates to the care and treatment of work related injuries;

3. be knowledgeable of workers' compensation principles and the workers' compensation system in Oklahoma as demonstrated by prior experience and/or education;

4. have no felony conviction under federal or state law within seven (7) years before the date of the applicant's application to serve as a qualified independent medical case manager; and

5. have a valid professional license as a nurse or case manager certification as provided in paragraph 1 of this subsection, which is not probationary or restricted.

B. Appointment. Appointment of applicants to the list of qualified independent medical case managers, and maintenance and periodic validation of such list shall be by a majority vote of the judges of the Court. Medical case manager appointments to the list shall be for a two year period.

C. Application for Appointment. To request appointment to the list of qualified medical case managers, an applicant shall:

1. Submit a signed and completed application Form 626 to the following address: Oklahoma Workers' Compensation Court, Attention: Medical, 1915 N. Stiles Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 73105-4918. Illegible and incomplete or unsigned applications will not be considered for submission to the judges, and shall be returned. A copy of the application Form 626 may be obtained from the Court at the address set forth in this paragraph, or from the Court's web site;

2. Submit a current resume, together with the application Form 626 to the Court; and

3. Verify that the applicant, if appointed, will:

a. provide independent, impartial and objective medical case management services in all cases assigned to the case manager;

b. decline a request to serve as a medical case manager only for good cause shown;

c. meet with the claimant and appear at any appointments with treating physicians, as directed by the Court, and when necessary to report findings or respond to questions and issues submitted by the Court;

d. submit an initial written report to the parties and Court within twenty (20) calendar days from the date of the order appointing the case manager, or sooner as the particular circumstances of the medical care or treatment or inquiries from the Court may necessitate. Progress reports shall be submitted as the particular circumstances of each case warrant, or as directed by the Court;

e. notify the Workers' Compensation Court in writing upon any change affecting the medical case manager's qualifications as provided by statute or this rule; and

f. comply with all applicable statutes, Court rules, and orders in the case assigned.

D. Disclosure. As part of the application, the case manager shall identify, on the application form, any employer, insurer, employee group, certified workplace medical plan, or representatives of the above with whom the case manager is under contract, or who regularly uses the services of the case manager.

Okla. Stat. tit. 85, § 46

Adopted by order of the Supreme Court, eff. 7/1/1995; Former Rule 46 repealed by order of the Supreme Court, 2006 OK 6, eff. 1/30/2006; Renumbered from former Rule 48 by order of the Supreme Court, 2006 OK 6, eff. 1/30/2006. Amended by order of the Supreme Court, 2012 OK 19, eff. 3/6/2012 .