The New York State Workers’ Compensation Law allows physician’s assistants to provide medical care to injured workers. However, there must be a supervising physician who is required to sign any medical records and/or disability forms that are completed based on the physician’s assistant’s examination.
Doctors who commonly deal with Workers’ Compensation clients are well aware that they must counter-sign all medical reports completed by a physician’s assistant. However, some physicians who don’t deal with the Workers’ Compensation system regularly are unaware of this fact.
While this seems like a technicality, Law Judges are not allowed to consider the medical opinions of a physician’s assistant’s medical records or report unless they are counter-signed by the supervising physician.
If you are being treated by a physician’s assistant you may want to mention that their supervising physician should counter-sign any medical records that are being filed.
If you are considering representation and have questions about the New York State Workers’ Compensation system or your case in particular, please feel free to contact us.