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New Workmen's Compensation Medical Board
Posted on Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 01:32 PM

With effect from 15 August 2005, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be setting up a Workmen's Compensation Medical Board to provide impartial assessments on the degree of disablement in work-related injuries for workmen's compensation claims. The Medical Board will only be called upon to provide assessments when an objection is raised by any party against the initial treating doctor's medical assessment.
Current Procedures

2 Currently, when a workmen's compensation claim is lodged with MOM, the initial treating doctor's medical assessment is used to determine the amount of compensation to be paid. However, should any of the three parties to the claim, namely the employer, insurance company and injured worker raise an objection to this initial assessment, the objecting party will arrange for another assessment with a medical specialist of his own choice, who will then submit a medical report to MOM.

3 On receipt of the medical report, MOM will forward it to the other two parties to see whether they are agreeable to the new assessment. If there is acceptance of the new assessment, MOM will issue a new notice on the compensation payable. However, if there is any objection, the objecting party may then decide to arrange for the injured worker to undergo further medical assessment by another medical specialist of the objecting party's choice.

4 Under the present procedure, MOM may have to review up to three separate medical reports from the employer, insurance company and injured worker, without the parties agreeing on the settlement of the claim. Under such circumstances, the matter would eventually have to be referred for adjudication by the Commissioner for Labour.

Changes To Be Introduced

5 With the setting up of the Medical Board, any objections to the permanent incapacity assessed by the initial treating doctor will be referred to the Board and its panels of medical specialists for review. The medical panel will assess the case and submit its report to MOM. MOM will then facilitate an amicable settlement on the workmen's compensation claim, failing which the matter will be referred for adjudication by the Commissioner for Labour.

6 The Medical Board and its panels will ensure impartiality of the medical assessment without causing inconvenience to the parties to the claim to separately appoint their respective medical specialists and subject the injured worker to numerous medical assessments before the injured worker can receive his due compensation. This will also lead to speedier pay out to claimants.

7 A fee of $350 would be borne by the party raising the objection to the initial medical assessment. This is similar to the current situation whereby the objecting party has to bear the costs for assessment of the injured worker by his medical specialist.

8 The Workmen's Compensation Medical Board will be appointed by the Minister for Manpower.

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