Workers Comp denies petition to declare all forms ofinterferential stimulation non-compensable

[Guest guest]

Doctors, see below the text of information received today from the Workers

Compensation Division. They will be issuing a press release to this effect very

soon. Thanks Dr. Prideaux for your help on this issue & all those who submitted

testimony to the department.

Dave McTeague, Ex. Dir., Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners

503-378-5816 ext. 23

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\

----------

Department of Consumer and Business Services

Workers' Compensation Division

350 Winter St. NE

PO Box 14480

Salem, OR 97309-0405

1-800-452-0288, (503) 947-7810

TTY (503) 947-7993

www.wcd.oregon.gov

July 1, 2005

TO: All interested parties

SUBJECT: Denial of petition to declare all forms of interferential stimulation*

non-compensable

*Interferential stimulation is also known as " interferential electrotherapy. "

The Workers' Compensation Division recently asked for public comment on a

petition for rulemaking. That petition requested adoption of a rule to declare

all forms of interferential stimulation non-compensable for the treatment of

injured workers. The petitioner maintained that interferential stimulation is

unscientific, has not been proven to be effective, and is experimental. As an

alternative, the petitioner asked that reimbursement be limited to that allowed

for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

Although evidence was presented in both support and opposition, most of the

comments submitted opposed the petitioner's recommendations. Based on those

comments, professional advice, and the evidence presented, the division finds

that interferential stimulation has not been shown to be unscientific, unproven

as to its effectiveness, or experimental. The division considered the second

part of the petition, the alternative that reimbursement for this treatment be

limited to that allowed for TENS. We do not have a basis in law to limit

reimbursement based on the relative effectiveness of treatment options.

To all of you who submitted comments and medical evidence, we sincerely

appreciate your input. We will continue to work closely with the Medical

Advisory Committee on development of public policy regarding evidence-based

medicine.

If you have questions, please contact Fred Bruyns, Rules Coordinator, (503)

947-7717.

/s/ L. Shilts

L. Shilts, Administrator

Workers' Compensation Division

Distribution: WCD-ID, S, T, U, AT, CE, MR, EG, IA, LU, CI, OH, DC, DO, GR, MD,

ND, OT, PA, PY, RN, ML, ME, MC, RF, S0, S1, S4, S5, S7, S8

CC: Petitioner

RS Medical

File

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\

---------------

Dave,

(Here is) a copy of a public notice that should go out to interested parties

within a few days. The petition to have IFS declared non-compensable has been

denied. Regarding the earlier petition to have the RS-4i® declared

non-compensable, the Workers' Compensation Division has notified the petitioner

that we will take no further action.

Thank you for your contributions to the process. Please let me know if you have

questions or I may assist in any way.

Sincerely,

Fred Bruyns, Rules Coordinator

Oregon Workers' Compensation Division

Policy Section