What is an Independent Medical Examination (IME)?

If you’ve filed a workers’ compensation claim in Massachusetts, you may be asked to attend an Independent Medical Examination (IME). The IME can have a big impact on your workers’ compensation claim, so it’s very important to understand in advance exactly why you are being asked to attend an IME and what to expect.

An Independent Medical Examination is called “independent” because it is conducted by someone other than the physician who has been treating you for your work injury or illness. However, you should not let that terminology mislead you into believing that the doctor who examines you will be objective. The main reason insurance companies request an IME is that they are hoping to be able to terminate or minimize your workers’ compensation benefits. 

Do I Have to Attend an IME? 

Not every workers’ compensation applicant is asked to attend an Independent Medical Examination. However, if you are asked to undergo an IME, you must do so. Massachusetts law requires it. There are certain limitations on the ability of the insurance company to summon you to an IME, though. For example, you must be given adequate notice of the appointment. And, the physician you are asked to visit must be within a reasonable distance of your home. 

What is Considered a Reasonable Distance for a Massachusetts IME?

There is no specific statutory rule about the exact number of miles or time allowed for travel to an IME. However, as a practical matter, generally a trip of an hour or less, or about 30 to 50 miles, will be considered reasonable. There may be circumstances in which greater distances will be allowed, such as when there is no appropriate specialist available in the immediate area.

If the insurance company requests an IME, they are required to reimburse the workers’ comp claimant for travel, and for any wages lost as a result of having to attend the appointment. 

What Should I Know Before my Massachusetts IME? 

The first thing to understand is that the IME doctor is not your doctor. Their goal is not to help you and you will not receive any treatment, recommendations or prescriptions from them. They are seeing you strictly to gather information on behalf of the insurance company. While it would be nice to believe that this process is objective and that the insurance company is only looking to make sure they have accurate information, the truth is that the purpose of the IME is often to find reasons to force you back to work against the advice of your treating physician, or to reduce or terminate benefits.

Here are a few other important things to know about an Independent Medical Examination in Massachusetts:

• You are allowed to bring an observer to your appointment and your observer can take notes during the appointment
• Whether you are taking notes or have brought along a friend or family member to do it for you, you should be sure to document the entire process – that means the time the exam began and ended, what kind of examination was conducted, what if any tests were performed, and anything else that might be relevant
• You are allowed to record your appointment in Massachusetts, but you should tell the examiner first
• You will want to refresh your memory about your injury, your treatment to date, the timeline of your treatment and recovery, and any limitations you still face before you see 978-459-3085 or filling out our contact form.