Catastrophic Application/Rebuttal and
Pre/Post 104 Disability Assessment/Rebuttal Services
 

Catastrophic Impairment Applications (OCF 19)

In conjunction with RTW Integrated Health Management, On the basis of a detailed file analysis, charting of subjective/objective impairments, and graphical rehabilitation profiling, a well founded OCF 19 Catastrophic Application is established by Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr., with consideration of the Desbiens case law of combining psychological and physical impairments. Serves to determine the presence of psychological impairment and related psychological disability through the use of clinical examination. It includes a comprehensive interview, standardized psychological and rehabilitation psychometric measures, symptom rating / coping measures, and measures of pre/post condition stressors. Provides full DSM-IV diagnosis and for IE exams, determines relationship between MVA and presenting symptoms. Occupational aptitude testing is utilized for disability determination by considering tested aptitude performance relative to NOC based aptitudes of pre-condition occupation.

Catastrophic Impairment Rebuttals: Your “Post-DAC DAC”

In conjunction with RTW Integrated Health Management, this service provides state of the art medical, neuro/psychological and OT functional assessment with rehabilitation profiling towards addressing MVA Catastrophic Impairment entitlement, and ROMS graphical depiction of key impairments and functional limitations to clearly substantiate serious and permanent impairment in relation to the AMA Disability Guides and SABS criteria. A well founded rating is considered relative to the Desbiens case law of combining psychological and physical impairments, and in addition highly rigorous objective testing is employed to measure actual shortfalls in independent functioning (including parental responsibilities and financial independence) relative to the requirements of the Glasgow Outcome scale. Additionally, when indicated specialty medical investigations (e.g. EMG, specialized radiological investigations) may be utilized to assure maximal rating considerations. This interdisciplinary team is led by Dr. J. Douglas Salmon, Jr., who chaired the original FSCO AMA Guides Mental/Behavioral Catastrophic DAC Committee, was an active member of the FSCO Catastrophic DAC Glasgow Outcome Scale Committee, and provides extensive Catastrophic Impairment training to the clinical and legal professional communities.

Pre and Post 104 Week Income Replacement Assessments/Rebuttals: Your “Post-DAC DAC”

In conjunction with RTW Integrated Health Management, this service consists of a multi-day situational work assessment to provide an evidence based disability assessment to evaluate the client’s capacity to sustain attention/concentration, work activity pace, persistence, productivity and stamina at a competitive level in consideration of presenting cognitive, emotional, social-interactional and/or physical impairments in the context of work demands across these same domains. Standardized work samples and simulated work activities form the basis of the evaluations. The following two disability criteria may be distinctly evaluated using this methodology:

(a) the “own occupation” (pre-2 year) disability status is evaluated by considering the client’s capacity to perform pre-condition essential job tasks at a competitive employment level. The evaluation may be used as an initial assessment or as a rebuttal to an insurer examination.

(b) the “any occupation” (Post 104 week/2 year) disability status is evaluated by considering the client’s capacity to perform occupations previously selected as being suited by reason of “education, training or experience” at a competitive employment level. The evaluation may be used as an initial assessment or as a rebuttal to an insurer examination.

If used as a rebuttal to an insurer examination (IE), the assessment considers whether the IE selected appropriate occupations for the individual, and whether the IE considered the case law requirements of “commensurate remuneration” and “commensurate socioeconomic status” in rejecting the client’s Post 104 week eligibility. It also provides a multi-day situational work assessment to ascertain the individual’s actual competitive employability on a full time basis as required of the Post 104 case law, but typically ignored in Post-104 Week Disability IE assessments.