BWC Operations Update

Thursday, March 19, 2020 | 02:48pm
  • Court of Workers' Compensation Claims
    • Beginning March 23, all settlement approval hearings will be telephonic; learn more.
    • All status, scheduling and motion hearings will be conducted by phone as scheduled.
    • In-person expedited and compensation hearings will occur as scheduled unless a party requests a continuance by motion.
    • Questions? Ask the Court Clerk at WC.CourtClerk@tn.gov
  • Mediation & Ombudsman Programs
    • BWC Mediation and Ombudsman services are available telephonically. In-person interactions are temporarily suspended.
    • We encourage electronic filing of documents over the use of mail.
    • Questions about your workers’ compensation claim? Call 800-332-2667.
  • Subsequent Injury Fund
    • If your case involves the Subsequent Injury Fund (SIF), cases are still processing as usual via email. Notification PBDs can be sent to WCSIFLegal@tn.gov or to Robert.Davies@tn.gov. Physically mailed documents may not be received timely due to our employees working from home.
  • Workers' Compensation Appeals Board
    • Upcoming oral arguments scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 will occur telephonically instead of in person.
    • Questions? Contact the Appeals Board Clerk, Olivia Yearwood, at 615-253-1606 or WCAppeals.Clerk@tn.gov.
  • Medical
    • Case Management: Face-to-Face meeting requirements: when the face-to-face meeting cannot be accomplished, note the reason on the form C34 (CM closure). Penalty assessments for this are suspended.
    • Telehealth: HHS, CMS and DEA have relaxed their rules. The Bureau supports its use at this time.  Payments will follow Medicare guidelines with amounts according to the Medical Fee Schedule  The TMA has issued guidance on coding. See their websites for more info.
    • Utilization Review Appeals: Appeals for denied treatments continue to be processed as usual.
    • Fee Schedule waivers continue to be processed as usual.
    • Medical Fee Schedule and payments: Any later disputes can be submitted to the Medical Payment Committee.
  • Compliance
    • The Employee Misclassification Advisory Committee (EMAC) will meet via Webex. Instructions will be sent via email.

This Page Last Updated: March 19, 2020 at 2:50 PM