Is the Special Funds Conservation Committee required to comply with the Medical Treatment Guidelines?
Yes. They must incorporate the Guidelines into their policies and procedures and report their compliance and their contacts to the Board. • Will claimant’s attorneys be awarded fees for their appearance and representation at variance hearings? As there is likely to be no awards at such hearings and there will be undoubtedly be cases where the only issue is medical treatment w/o the possibility of further awards, must there be a pool to which the attorney lien can attach or will the carriers be required to pay an attorney’s fee even where there is no money moving? If fees will be permitted, what are the boundaries as to what fees can be awarded? The Medical Treatment Guidelines did not amend or change WCL § 24 in any fashion. The present law and rules with respect to the awarding of attorneys’ fees apply. • The injured worker is referred for physical therapy after a back injury. Physical therapy is provided for three weeks and the patient makes minimal progress. Physical therapy is stop
