When you undergo extended treatment and rehabilitation for a work-related injury or illness, the workers’ compensation insurance company may eventually request an impairment rating evaluation (IRE). An IRE is used to identify the nature and severity of your impairment and determine what workers’ compensation benefits you currently qualify for. Because IREs can reduce or terminate your benefits, you need dedicated legal representation when an insurer asks you to attend an IRE.
What Is an IRE?
An impairment rating evaluation is a medical examination a workers’ compensation claimant may undergo during their claim. The IRE determines the nature of a worker’s disability from a work-related injury or illness.
Under Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation law, a workers’ compensation insurance company can request an injured worker submit to an IRE after receiving 104 weeks of disability benefits. The insurance company can select a physician to perform the IRE. As a result, the doctor who conducts the IRE works for the insurer and its interests rather than the worker.
Insurance companies rely on IREs to reduce or terminate injured employees’ workers’ compensation benefits.
What Happens During an IRE?
During an IRE, you will attend an in-person appointment with the physician conducting the exam. If you intentionally fail to attend the appointment, you risk losing your workers’ compensation benefits.
The physician may conduct various physical exams and tests at the appointment and take scans such as X-rays. Before or after the IRE, the evaluating physician will also review your medical records. After the exam, the physician will complete a form to rate your impairment under the current American Medical Association (AMA) guidelines for evaluating permanent impairment.
How Will an IRE Affect My Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Case?
Depending on the results of an IRE, the workers’ compensation insurance company may petition the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Commission to shift your benefits from total or partial disability or to terminate your benefits. The IRE will also help the insurance company or the Commission determine what amount of permanent disability benefits you may receive.
Unfortunately, because the insurance company selects the physician conducting the IRE, IREs favor the insurer’s interests. However, you can obtain an independent medical examination to counter the findings in the IRE report.
Work with a Workers’ Compensation Attorney at Calhoon and Kaminsky P.C.
A workers’ compensation lawyer from Calhoon & Kaminsky P.C. can guide you through the impairment rating evaluation process during a workers’ comp claim by:
- Preparing you for what to expect during the impairment evaluation
- Counseling you about the questions the examiner may ask and how to answer them
- Reviewing the IRE report to understand how it may affect your case
- Pursuing an additional independent medical exam to challenge the findings of the insurance company’s IRE
Contact Our Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Help
When the workers’ compensation insurance company asks you to submit to an IRE in Pennsylvania, you need experienced legal counsel to protect your rights and interests. Contact Calhoon & Kaminsky P.C. today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a workers’ comp attorney to learn more about impairment ratings and how an IRE can affect your claim.
This post was originally published in June 2011 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness in January 2025.
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For more than 20 years, our attorneys have been helping injured workers navigate the complex Pennsylvania workers’ compensation system. We empower workers with the information and the representation they need to make the best decisions for themselves and their families’ future.
