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Release Number: 2019-33
April 9, 2019

DWC Posts Report on Independent Bill Review (IBR)

The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) and its Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) posted a progress report today on the department’s Independent Bill Review (IBR) program. IBR is a process used to resolve billing disputes for medical treatment and medical-legal services provided to injured workers.

The “2018 Independent Bill Review (IBR) Report: Analysis of 2013-2017 Application Filings” summarizes the activity of an essential component of Senate Bill 863, providing an evaluation of the program during the first five years following its enactment. The report accounts for all applications filed to dispute payments not resolved through Second Bill Review during this time period.

Highlights of the report include:

  • The number of IBR applications received averaged 165 filings per month.
  • Seven of 10 decided cases resulted in additional payment for the provider.
  • Nearly $12.3 million was awarded in overturned case decisions.

“We hope the findings of this report will encourage health care providers to consider using IBR for some of their payment disputes,” said DWC Administrative Director George Parisotto.

The progress report is posted on the DIR website.