MEMORANDUM NO. 2002-07

"Professional Guide for Attorneys, Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners; Guidelines for Cooperation"

Pursuant to Sections 31-280(b)(10), 31-298, and 31-327(b) of the Connecticut General Statutes, in conjunction with Sections 31-279-9 and 31-280-1 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, I am pleased to announce the issuance of the "Professional Guide for Attorneys, Physicians and Other Health Care Practitioners; Guidelines for Cooperation".

These guidelines were unanimously adopted by the Workers' Compensation Commission and the Workers' Compensation Advisory Board under C.G.S. 31-280(b)(10). For your convenience, copies may be picked up at any of our district offices, by request from the Chairman's Office, or downloaded from our website at wcc.state.ct.us.

This document establishes the guidelines that the Workers' Compensation Commission will utilize in resolving issues that may arise for either attorneys or health care practitioners who practice within the workers' compensation system. In order to provide sufficient time to become familiar with the provisions contained therein, the effective date for adherence to these guidelines is January 1, 2003.

Any physician who reviews this document and determines it to be unacceptable to them may contact the Chairman of the Workers' Compensation Commission, in writing, to request that his/her name be removed from the list of physicians authorized to practice within the Workers' Compensation system. Failure to request this removal assumes the physician has read this document in its entirety and agrees to adhere to its provisions.

Thank you for your attention to this most important issue.