New Rules Governing Patient Care & Pain Management for Workers’ Compensation Patients

Richard Granowsky a workers’ compensation lawyer in Greensboro representing clients across North Carolina who are managing pain from work-related injuries and illnesses. Concerned about the potential impact of new rules proposed by the Industrial Commission directed at the prescription of pain management medications to workers’ compensation patients he prepared an article designed to present the substance of these proposed rule changes to medical industry professionals most likely to encounter pain management patients whose injuries were job related.

Richard says, “As an attorney who represents injured workers, I applaud the intent, but am concerned that without the active input and involvement of the community of medical professionals who treat injured workers in North Carolina, the rules may have the unintended consequences of discouraging providers from addressing injured workers’ pain or perhaps even accepting workers’ compensation patients at all.”

Richard issued a call for commentary in an effort to gage the medical community’s response to these changes in order to better advocate for his clients. “I want to understand the medical community’s position regarding these special rules targeted at workers’ compensation patients and how they might impact the care these patients receive.

Dates of interest:

• The proposed rules are in an open public comment period through March 19, 2018.
• There is a public hearing on the proposed rules scheduled for March 2, 2018, in Raleigh, NC.
• The proposed effective date for the new rules is May 1, 2018.

If you are a medical provider, please contact Richard Granowsky directly by email at rgranowsky@hillevans.com, or by calling the firm at 336-379-1390.
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