Business Insurance: Reviews of psych claims in comp increase

Requests for independent medical examinations for workers compensation claims with a psychological condition are rising, in part due to greater awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder and an increase in workers seeking treatment for depression and anxiety in conjunction with a physical injury, experts say.

While exact numbers are hard to pin down and the increases vary by state, psych IMEs often are more costly that physical exams are driving comp costs higher, they say.

“There is not a lot of data on PTSD, but we are seeing it on the rise,” said Donna Bradshaw, Philadelphia-based vice president of independent medical evaluation services for Genex Services LLC, which manages comp claims for employers nationwide.

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