Training Available for New Medical Treatment Guidelines

New York State Workers' Compensation Board sent this bulletin at 07/01/2021 09:00 AM EDT

Training Available for New Medical Treatment Guidelines

Providing standards of care for work-related injuries and illnesses ensures that injured workers benefit from treatment that’s known to be effective, and that they receive such treatment in the appropriate timeframe. In recognition of this, the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (Board) has, in recent months, adopted five new New York Medical Treatment Guidelines (MTGs) and has another 10 new or updated MTGs in various stages of the proposal, public comment and adoption process. You can follow the latest activity on the MTGs section of the Board’s website.

The Board has also made training available for updated MTGs that will be effective on a date to be announced, coinciding with the launch of OnBoard: Limited Release so that stakeholders can familiarize themselves with the updated guidelines. They include:

  • Neck Injury*
  • Shoulder Injury*
  • Mid and Low Back Injury*
  • Knee Injury*
  • Non-Acute Pain**

Each training provides an overview of the General Guideline Principles, diagnoses associated with the body part or condition, as well as diagnostic and treatment recommendations.

To access the training presentations, visit Training for Non-medical and Administrative Staff.

*Neck Injury, Shoulder Injury, Mid and Low Back Injury, and Knee Injury completed their public comment periods on April 12, 2021. The Board is currently assessing the comments received.

** Non-Acute Pain has been posted for a 60-day public comment period, ending June 14, 2021. Training for these MTGs will be adjusted if needed based on the feedback received during the public comment period.

Have You Used the MTG Lookup Tool Yet?

Please be reminded that the MTG Lookup Tool is currently available in the Medical Portal and allows users to quickly determine whether a condition or treatment/test combination is "Recommended," "Not Recommended" or "Conditional,” according to the MTGs. Use of this online tool allows for faster treatment decisions and ultimately more effective and efficient care for injured workers.

To access the Medical Portal and the MTG Lookup Tool, visit the Board's website and select “Medical Portal” from the Online Services menu at the top of the homepage. For full details, view the MTG Lookup Tool video tutorial.

Additional Resources

For more information on the MTG trainings, please visit the Board's website or call (800) 781-2362. You can also email MTGTrainings@wcb.ny.gov.

For MTG Lookup Tool questions, email MTGLookupTool@wcb.ny.gov.

Visit the Board’s website for more information on OnBoard, the Board’s new business information system, which will be available in limited release summer 2021.

Webpage for Provider Updates

The Board has created a new webpage dedicated to sharing timely updates for the health care provider community.  Visit What Providers Need to Know to view the latest!