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Burk: A Practitioner's Glossary of Workers' Compensation Shorthand: [2022-07-29]
 

A reader reached out asking about the terms and abbreviations often used in the workers’ compensation practice. Following is a glossary of these abbreviations and phrases often used (listed generally in the order in which they may appear as a case progresses).

Maura Burk

Maura Burk

CP — claim petition: This pleading is filed by the injured worker in workers’ compensation court when benefits (most often, permanency) are being claimed by the injured worker.

MPC — medical provider claim petition: In New Jersey, medical providers have the right to file their own petitions.

FRI/FROI — first report of injury: This form is completed by the employer after an accident. It generally outlines how the accident occurred and the injured workers’ injury(ies). This form gets filed with the Division of Workers' Compensation.

IW — injured worker.

TTD — temporary disability benefits: For more information regarding TTD issues, please read our prior blog post "Advice to Employers in Dealing With Complex TTD Scenarios."

TDB — temporary disability benefits: These are benefits issued by the State of New Jersey. This is also an abbreviation for “New Jersey Temporary Disability Benefits.” In certain circumstances, an employee may receive state TDB benefits instead of TTD from the employer. In these cases, a lien will likely be filed by the Division of Temporary Disability Insurance in the workers’ compensation case.

ROC — rate of compensation: This refers to petitioner’s rate of TTD and the amount that is paid weekly while petitioner is out of work and receiving TTD benefits.

RTW — return to work: This is often used in conjunction with TTD.

LD — light duty: Practitioners may also see the terms “mod duty,” “MD” or “modified duty.” AD (alternative duty) may be used as well.

FD — full duty.

FCE — functional capacity evaluation: This may also be referred to as a fitness for duty examination. An FCE may be ordered by a treating physician to better assess return to work status and return to work potential/abilities.

MA — medical authorization: An MA signed by the injured worker is needed in order to obtain medical records from prior physicians during respondent’s investigation.

ISO: Refers to a New Jersey-based national company that searches for prior claims information. This used to be called a “CIB.”

NCM — nurse case manager: In certain circumstances, a nurse case manager may be assigned to an injured worker’s case to assist with medical scheduling, appointments, exams and treatment.

CMS — Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Medicare’s interests must be considered and protected in workers’ compensation claims and settlements.

MSA — Medicare set-aside: An MSA must be obtained in certain types of settlements if the employee is a Medicare recipient or Medicare-eligible.

CPL — conditional payment lien: Medicare CPL information must be obtained in settlements if the employee is a Medicare recipient or Medicare-eligible.

HMS — health management systems: This is the Medicaid counterpart to Medicare’s CMS.

Rogs or roggs — interrogatories: Interrogatories may be served seeking additional information in cases of occupational exposure, reopener, dependency, and certain other types.

MMT – motion for medical and/or temporary disability benefits: This may be filed by an injured worker during a case if he is seeking additional TTD or treatment.

RMI — request for medical information or DMI (demand for medical information): When one party seeks medical discovery from another party.

IME — independent medical evaluation: This generally refers to an exam by either petitioner or respondent where a physician will address causation and treatment issues (often during treatment) or address causation and permanency issues (once treatment has concluded).

PPD — permanent partial disability: These are benefits that are awarded to a petitioner at the end of the case depending on the amount of permanency petitioner is able to demonstrate. Sometimes this is abbreviated as “perm.”

OAS — order approving settlement: This is one of two ways a case may settle. In orders approving settlement, the petitioner’s case resolves for a specific percentage of disability, and the petitioner retains the right to reopen for future benefits. Corresponding with the level of disability, the percentage award is paid over a certain number of weeks.

Maura Burk is an attorney with Capehart Scatchard, a defense law firm in New Jersey. This post appears with permission from the New Jersey Workers' Comp Blog.