Complete Story
 

12/18/2009

WILMAPC Notices

Many members are reporting that they received a notice from WILMAPC regarding an opportunity to accept or opt out as a provider in this new worker's compensation program. WILMAPC is a partnership formed via a collective bargaining agreement between the State of Ohio and four labor unions: Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, Service Employees International Union/District 1199, Ohio Education Association and the Fraternal Order of Police. Examples of state agencies involved include Rehab and Correction, Youth Services, Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Transportation.

Purpose:  Labor and management have come together and formed this agreement to create a system for state employees to receive full wage continuation (up to 480 hours, 12 weeks) if loss time from work is necessary as a result of a work related injury if the state employee chooses an established panel provider. This also applies to an Occupational Injury Leave (OIL) which is available up to 960 hours.

Creation of the panel is listed as effective and efficient care of employees resulting in a timely and safe return to work. The main driving force in this program is RETURN TO WORK...bottom line! The state employee has the right to choose a panel provider and receive 100% wages when off work or they can choose another provider and collect temporary total disability at the usual rate of either 72% or 66% of wages.

Initial panel providers have been selected to include those providers who have been paid for 5 or more workers' compensation claims in 2009. Panel providers will be measured and annually re-evaluated. Performance will be measured by absence duration, return to work rate, relapse rate and average medical costs.

Panel providers can opt out of the program but otherwise will be automatically included. Panel provider reimbursement is not decreased.

State employees will be educated via websites, pamphlets or other postings regarding choice of physicians on the panel.

Questions regarding complicated cases/co-morbidity factors will be handled by referencing all similar questions to the ODG guidelines. Three MCOs are in the fore front, Careworks, CompManagement and University Comp Care.

The provider panel will be implemented 02/01/2010.