Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0800-02-20-.01 - DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are for the purposes of this chapter only:

(1) "Administrator" means the chief administrative officer of the Bureau of Workers' Compensation with full authority over the MIR Registry Program, or the Administrator's designee.

(2) "Business day(s)" means any day upon which the Bureau is open for business.

(3) "Bureau" means the Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

(4) "Conflict of Interest" means a conflict between the professional or personal interests and needs of a health care provider and his or her professional responsibilities toward a patient or consumer.

(5) "Dispute of degree of medical impairment" means one or more of the following:

(a) At least two different physicians have issued differing permanent medical impairment ratings in compliance with the Act and the parties disagree as to those permanent impairment ratings;

(b) A physician has issued an opinion in compliance with the Act that no permanent medical impairment exists, yet that same physician has issued permanent physical or mental (psychiatric) restrictions to the injured employee; or

(c) The employer and employee both wish to access the Medical Impairment Rating Registry.

(6) "Employee" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102.

(7) "Employer" shall have the same meaning as set forth in Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102.

(8) "Form" means the "Request for a Medical Impairment Rating," required to be used to request a MIR Registry physician from the Administrator. The Form is available upon request from the Bureau or online at www.tn.gov/workforce/topic/forms.

(9) "Insurer" or "carrier" means an employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier and additionally shall include any entity claiming, operating, or attempting to operate as a self- insured employer, self-insured pool, or self-insured trust pursuant to the requirements of Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-405 and Chapter 0780-01-54, Self-Insured Pools, of the Rules of the Department of Commerce and Insurance, Insurance Division.

(10) "Law" means the Tennessee Workers' Compensation Law, Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 50-6-101 et seq., as amended.

(11) "Medical Impairment Rating Registry" or "MIR Registry" means the registry or listing of physicians established by the Administrator pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-204 (2005) to perform independent medical impairment ratings when there is a dispute as to the degree of medical impairment, as defined in these Rules.

(12) "Party" means any person or entity which either could be liable for payment of workers' compensation benefits or a person who has a potential right to receive workers' compensation benefits. "Party" shall include a legal representative of a party.

(13) "Physician" means a person currently licensed in good standing to practice as a Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Chiropractic, or Doctor of Osteopathy.

(14) "Program Coordinator" means the administrative officer of the MIR Registry Program, appointed by the Administrator.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0800-02-20-.01

Public necessity rule filed June 15, 2005; effective through November 27, 2005. Public necessity rule filed November 16, 2005; effective through April 30, 2006. Original rule filed January 30, 2006; effective April 15, 2006. Amendment filed November 8, 2011; effective April 29, 2012. Amendments filed March 25, 2013; effective June 23, 2013. Amendment filed December 26, 2013; effective March 26, 2014. Amendments filed June 10, 2016; effective September 8, 2016. Amendments filed December 5, 2023; effective 3/4/2024.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 50-6-102, 50-6-204, 50-6-205, and 50-6-233.