Canadian Injured Workers Society - Workers compensation articles. WCB.

The CIWS has pointed out how, in Canada, these AMA guides are still being used illegally by WCBs to determine impairment ratings. See Unlawful Use Of Impairment Ratings And AMA Guides Longtime WCB critic, Gerry Millar states, "The Alberta Guides are worse as they were compiled by a Dr. Bell in 1960 and no one knows how or why Dr. Bell came up with the impairment ratings which do not even bother to factor in pain in any of their impairment ratings as the feeling is that pain is subjective, therefore pain is not factored in."

More States Follow NY and Abandon AMA Guides

"Following New York's rejection of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment for its own workers compensation system, . . . now the states of Utah, Washington and Colorado are not adopting the current version of the AMA Guides. . . . This comes on the heels of workers' compensation expert Dr. John Burton recently labeling the AMA Guides as "hokum" and "not evidence based". Clearly, the tide across the country is shifting away from the AMA Guides as they are exposed for what they really are - an insurance industry tool to lower workers' compensation benefits to injured workers."

More States Follow NY and Abandon AMA Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment

Following New York's rejection of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment for its own workers compensation system, Workers Comp Central has reported that now the states of Utah, Washington and Colorado are not adopting the current version of the AMA Guides. In fact, Dr. Alan Colledge, a Utah physician who was an advisor to the AMA Guides, has asked that his name be removed from the advisors listed in the publication. Dr. College wrote to the American Medical Association stating that "the Guides would discredit the AMA".

This comes on the heels of workers' compensation expert Dr. John Burton recently labeling the AMA Guides as "hokum" and "not evidence based". Clearly, the tide across the country is shifting away from the AMA Guides as they are exposed for what they really are - an insurance industry tool to lower workers' compensation benefits to injured workers.

Interestingly, tomorrow is the first meeting of the New York Workers' Compensation Guidelines Committee since the rejection of the AMA Guides. Bruce Topman from the State Insurance Department is is still chairing this vitally important committee. WCA Board member James McCarthy along with Art Wilcox from the AFL-CIO will be present to protect injured workers. Stay tuned....