What is the Impartial Physician Program?
In 1991, the Massachusetts Legislature acted to eliminate a problem. Medical reports submitted to the DIA often favored the position of the side that hired the physicians who wrote them. As Massachusetts’ law requires judges to base their decisions in medical matters on the strength of the medical evidence in the record, medical reports at the time were voluminous and the litigation process was viewed as inefficient, time consuming and expensive. Since the 1991 reform, the DIA has developed a roster of impartial physicians whose members are board-certified specialists under contract. Impartial physicians serving on the roster are eligible to be chosen by the DIA to examine injured workers involved in pending medical-issue disputes. A formal hearing may not take place in any matter where a medical issue is involved until a physician from this roster examines the injured worker and renders a written report to the presiding judge. The impartial report is the sole medical evidence consider
