Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0800-02-33-.01 - DEFINITIONS

The following definitions are for the purpose of this chapter only.

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

(2) "AMA GuidesT" means the edition of the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment designated by the general assembly in T.C.A. §§ 50-6-102(2) and 50-6-204(k).

(3) "Application" means the "Physician Application for Appointment to the Certified Physicians Program (CPP) and/or Medical Impairment Rating (MIR) Registry" available upon request from the Bureau or online at https://www.tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work.html.

(4) "Best Practices for Treating and Evaluating Injured Workers" means the document developed by the Bureau for the Certified Physician Program curriculum that contains the evidence-based recommendations that the Bureau has accepted as being most effective for achieving optimal medical outcomes, available upon request from the Bureau or online at https://www.tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work.html.

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

(6) "Certified Physician" means a physician who is appointed by the Administrator to serve on the CPP Registry and whose credentials and qualifications pursuant to Rule 080-01-33-.04 are current, active, and unrestricted.

(7) "Certified Physician Program" or "CPP" is the administrative work unit within the Bureau that manages the Certified Physician Program Registry.

(8) "Certified Physician Program Advisory Committee" or "CPP Advisory Committee" means the group, appointed by the Administrator, whose members review applications for the purpose of making recommendations of physicians to the Administrator for listing on the CPP Registry and for recommending removal of a Certified Physician from the CPP Registry pursuant to these rules.

(9) "Certified Physician Program Registry" or "CPP Registry" means the listing of physicians appointed by the Administrator and whose credentials and qualifications, pursuant to Rule 0800-02-33-.04, are current, active, and unrestricted.

(10) "Conflict of interest" means to be incompatible or at variance between the professional or personal interests of a health care provider and his or her professional responsibilities toward a patient.

(11) "Employer" means an employer as defined in T.C.A. § 50-6-102, but also includes for the purposes of this rule an employer's insurer, third party administrator, self-insured employers, self-insured pools and trusts, as well as the employer's legally authorized representative or legal counsel, as applicable.

(12) "Inactive Status" means a physician has voluntarily requested to be listed as temporarily inactive on the online CPP Registry listing on the Bureau's website because the physician is not currently accepting workers' compensation patients.

(13) "Medical Director" means the medical director of the Bureau of Workers' Compensation as described in T.C.A. § 50-6-126 and includes assistant medical directors of the Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

(14) "Permanent Impairment Rating" means the analysis and rationale for assigning permanent impairment based on an injured worker's history, physical examination findings, and medical records, as expressed in a physician's notes or records or on the Bureau-promulgated Form C-30A and/or Form C-32.

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

(16) "Program Coordinator" means the administrative officer of the Certified Physician Program, appointed by the Administrator.

(17) "Treatment Guidelines" means the published medical care evidence-based recommendations adopted by the Administrator for treating workers' compensation injuries in Tenn. Comp. R. and Regs. 0800-02-25, including any suggested changes published on the Bureau's website in effect on the date the treatment is requested.

Notes

Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0800-02-33-.01

New rules filed June 16, 2023; effective 9/14/2023.

Authority: T.C.A. §§ 4-5-102, 50-6-102, 50-6-126, 50-6-204, and 50-6-233.