You aren't sure which type of mental health
specialist to employ for a psychiatric IME.

When it comes to psychiatric disability IMEs, one size does not fit all. Employ the wrong type of specialist, or one lacking the proper qualifications and experience, and the results can be truly disastrous.

The failure to select an appropriate IME examiner allows many resolvable cases to fall through the cracks. With some claims holding thousands or even millions of dollars in reserve benefits, such oversights can also be extremely expensive.

Have a licensed professional consultant review the
case file and select the appropriate IME examiner.

A "Plain Language" Peer Review
The first thing your consultant should do is carefully peer review the case file, and provide you with a "plain language" written summary of findings and recommendations. If important information is missing or lacks clarity, it should be obtained prior to arranging the IME. (As a rule, the more information available to the examiner, the more useful the IME report.)

Once this is accomplished, your consultant can confidently determine the type of pre-screened specialist (psychiatric, psychological, or neuropsychological) best suited for the IME, and whether or not any special testing needs to be included. (Psychological and neuropsychological testing has an essential role to play in many cases, particularly when malingering is suspected.)

Drafting an Individualized IME Letter
The next step should be the careful drafting of an individualized IME Questions letter to the examiner. Targeted, case-specific questions which translate insurance-related interests into appropriate clinical terminology generate reliable reports that clearly address the issues at hand. Generic, "check-list" IME letters, such as the one which may be in your drawer, should be avoided -- and often produce inferior reports even with examiners of superior abilities.

Finally, due to the inherent complexity of psychiatric disability cases, your consultant should also provide you with a concise written interpretation (in plain, non-technical language you can understand) of the IME findings and any related recommendations.

For details on how the comprehensive IME process just described can be adapted to suit your company's particular needs and requirements, please contact our national office toll free at (888) 779-2524. I also recommend you check out our special on-line guide, The ABCs of Managing Psychiatric Disability Cases.

Sincerely,

Leonard Grossman Ph.D.,
President, The Forest Hills IPA Inc.
Diplomate, The American Board of Forensic Examiners

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