Recently the California Society for Industrial Medicine and Surgery (CSIMS) announced that California’s State Compensation Insurance fund (SCIF) has sent a document to providers listing more than 3 dozen provisions and criteria that physicians must follow in order to remain in the State Fund’s Medical Provider Network (MPN).
According to CSIMS, “a number of questions have been raised regarding the legality of SCIF’s requirements for membership”, and they have responded in a letter citing their specific concerns with the provisions set forth by the State Fund.
Of the provisions, the issues that seem to be getting the most attention revolve around time limits placed on the prescription of opioids, and certain restrictions on compound drugs.
In their letter, CSIMS asserts that the provision relating to opioids “would compel MPN physicians to violate the tenants of these (CA Board Guidelines for Prescribing Controlled Substances for Pain) guidelines on a routine basis and, in so doing, risk loss of their medical license and exposure to malpractice liability”.
CSIMS has posted a copy of the document in question and their response letter on their site.
Both documents can be accessed here (docs are PDFs).