The New York State Insurance Department has proposed medical treatment guidelines for treating workers injured on the job. The guidelines are designed to hold down workers compensation costs in the state while also ensuring better care for injured workers, according to the department.

The guidelines focus on the treatment of injuries to the lower back, cervical spine, knee, and shoulder, which account for nearly 60 percent of total medical costs in New Yorks workers compensation system, according to data reported by the Workers Compensation Research Institute.

Putting medical treatment guidelines in place will mean injured workers get faster and more effective medical care at a lower cost to employers, New York Insurance Department Superintendent Eric Dinallo said in a statement. These guidelines will standardize treatments so injured workers get quality and appropriate care for their condition. Without guidelines, disputes and inappropriate treatments can lead to higher cost but not better care.

The departments Workers Compensation Reform Task Force, headed by executive director Bruce Topman and project manager Dr. Elain Sobol Berger, worked with representatives of labor, business, and other state agencies to develop the guidelines. Physicians and other professionals also shared their expertise and advice, the department said.

Topman said that the plan for establishing treatment guidelines grew out of the workers compensation reform legislation that was passed in March. In a letter to the department, Topman said, Governor Eliot Spitzer designated the members of the advisory committee, and asked the department to develop the guidelines.

Asked if these guidelines will be enforced in some way, or if they are intended to be only a reference point for involved parties, Topman said, That is a topic for discussion that is on the immediate upcoming agenda of the advisory committee and the task force.

The department has sent the guidelines to the Workers Compensation Board for its consideration in promulgating regulations.

Responding to the guidelines announcement, David Dickson, past president of the Professional Insurance Agents of New York (PIANY), highlighted the need for consensus with respect to treating injured workers. He said, There were 120,000-plus hearings last year in New York for workers compensation. A lot of the hearings, he said, involved injuries covered under the guidelines.

Establishing guidelines, Dickson noted, could reduce the number of hearings, but he cautioned that much will depend on how the guidelines are implemented.

Michael Barrett, legislative representative for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of New York (IIABNY), said that he expects the guidelines will have the force of law behind them as they are implemented through the Workers Compensation Board. Youre going to have specific injuries as part of the guidelines. The providers are going to have to adhere to it from a billing and treatment standpoint, and insurance companies from a payment and reimbursement standpoint. So everyone will be on the same page with the same rules.