Practice Alerts

October 3, 2008

Chairman Ruth Resigns

Dennis R. Ruth has resigned as Chairman of the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission effective the close of business on October 2, 2008. Governor Blagojevich appointed Gerald Jutila to replace Chairman Ruth effective today, October 3, 2008. Arbitrator Laramie will assume responsibility for the cases on Arbitrator (now Chairman) Jutila's call for the rest of 2008. But, in 2009, Arbitrator Dollison will replace Arbitrator Lammie who will, per the website, return to other duties

Before leaving office, Chairman Ruth changed various assignments "to equalize caseloads and minimize travel." You'll find attached a list of the changes that include Arbitrator Akemann taking over the lion's share of cases in Rockford, with Arbitrator Giordano departing from that venue to handle the entirety of Kankakee and Ottawa. Arbitrator Andros is vacating Ottawa and Woodstock to take over DeKalb and to help in Rockford and Waukegan. Arbitrator Erbacci is transferred from Waukegan to handle all of Woodstock and a portion of Wheaton. Arbitrator Fratianni is taken from Wheaton and transferred to Waukegan where she will handle most of the cases. Other changes of note concern Arbitrator Mathis who will be handling all of Peoria, while Arbitrator Neal is shifted to Carlinville, Decatur and Urbana. Arbitrator White will take over in Bloomington and Mattoon, with Arbitrator Falcioni moving to Joliet where he will handle the majority of the call, while Arbitrator Hennessy joins Arbitrator Kinnaman in Geneva. Arbitrator Tobin assumes the Springfield call, with Taylorville and Carlyle being eliminated. Cases assigned to those venues will be transferred to the closest hearing site.

Expanding the Fee Schedule?

Consideration is under way to include ambulatory surgical treatment centers; hospital outpatient radiology, pathology and laboratory, physical medicine and rehabilitation services; hospital outpatient surgical facility services; and rehabilitation hospitals in the fee schedule. Currently, bills from these facilities must be satisfied at up to 76% of actual charge. Setting specific fees for these providers, according to geozips, was apparently first considered earlier this year. Hearings were held where public comment was taken and written comments were accepted until late April of 2008. Specific fees for particular services and providers are listed at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission website www.state.il.us/aency/iic/news.htm according to geozips.

Note, however, that the proposal to bring these various providers within the operation of the fee schedule remains somewhat uncertain, The proposed rules must be approved by the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and thereafter filed with the Secretary of State. The Commission anticipates that this will be done by December 1, 2008 but, currently, the changes are not in effect.

As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.