Emergency Rule 8 on Recordings

The Division has issued what it calls an emergency rule, effective for claims after August 5, 2009. The new provisions are Rule 8-8 to 8-13 and address when an insurer or employer sends the claimant to its own Independent Medical Examination. Most of us in this field know that when the insurer does this it is seldom an independent objective examination. Insurers tend to pick doctors who favor the insurance side of things. What the rule does is provide details on how this examination must be recorded, how to get a copy and what remedy you have if the recording has confidential information the claimant feels is not to be revealed. All this is because of a new statutory provision just passed by the Colorado legislature. Apparently enough questions have surfaced about insurance oriented doctors asserting what happened during their examination which some feel is untrue. The new law and rule are designed to audio record the examination. Read the new Emergency Rule 8 here. This new rule is a bit complicated so you do need to read it carefully. Clearly after the examination a claimant can receive the first copy even before the insurer. Whoever first requests it must pay for it ($20) but if the insurer wants it they must pay $20 for the first copy for the claimant.