Hawaii Administrative Rules
Title 12 - DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
Chapter 15 - WORKERS COMPENSATION MEDICAL FEE SCHEDULE & EXHIBIT A
Subchapter 3 - TREATMENT
Section 12-15-34 - Providers of service other than physicians

(a) Frequency and extent of treatment shall not be more than the nature of the injury and the process of a recovery require. Any health care treatment or service performed by a Hawaii licensed or certified provider of service other than a physician shall be directed by the attending physician based on a written prescription signed, dated, and approved by the attending physician. The prescription may authorize up to an initial fifteen treatments of the injury during the first sixty calendar days. For therapists, the prescription may authorize up to an initial twenty treatments of the injury during the first sixty calendar days.

(b) If the attending physician believes treatments in addition to that allowed by subsection (a) are required, the provider of service other than a physician, in lieu of the attending physician, may transmit a treatment plan for review and approval to the attending physician who shall, after approval, transmit the treatment plan to the employer by mail or facsimile under separate cover at least seven calendar days prior to the start of the additional treatments to an address or facsimile number provided by the employer. A treatment plan shall be for one hundred twenty calendar days and shall not exceed fifteen treatments within that period. Treatments provided with less than seven calendar days notice are not authorized. A complete treatment plan shall contain the following elements:

(c) A treatment plan shall be deemed received by an employer when the plan is sent by mail or facsimile with reasonable evidence showing that the treatment plan was received.

(d) The employer may file an objection to the treatment plan with documentary evidence supporting the denial and a copy of the denied treatment plan with the director, copying the attending physician, the provider of service and the injured employee. Both the front page of the denial and the envelope in which the denial is filed shall be clearly identified as a "TREATMENT PLAN DENIAL" in capital letters and in no less than ten point type. The employer shall be responsible for payment for treatments provided under a complete treatment plan until the date the objection is filed with the director. Furthermore, the employer's objection letter must explicitly state that if the attending physician or the injured employee does not agree with the denial, they may request a review by the director of the employer's denial within fourteen calendar days after postmark of the employer's denial, and failure to do so shall be construed as acceptance of the employer's denial.

(e) The attending physician or the injured employee may request in writing that the director review the employer's denial of the treatment plan. The request for review shall be filed with the director, copying the employer, within fourteen calendar days after postmark of the employer's denial. A copy of the denied treatment plan shall be submitted with the request for review. Both the front page of the request for review and the envelope in which the request is filed shall be clearly identified as a "REQUEST FOR REVIEW OF TREATMENT PLAN DENIAL" in capital letters and in no less than ten point type. For cases not under the jurisdiction of the director at the time of the request, the injured employee shall be responsible to have the case remanded to the director's jurisdiction. Failure to file a request for review of the employer's denial with the director within fourteen calendar days after postmark of the employer's denial shall be deemed acceptance of the employer's denial.

(f) The director shall issue a decision, after a hearing, either requiring the employer to pay the provider of service other than a physician within thirty-one calendar days in accordance with the medical fee schedule if the treatments are determined to be reasonable and necessary or disallowing the fees for treatments determined to be unreasonable or unnecessary. Disallowed fees shall not be charged to the injured employee.

(g) The decision issued pursuant to subsection (f) shall be final unless appealed pursuant to section 386-87, HRS. The appeal shall not stay the director's decision.

(h) The provider of service other than a physician shall submit reports at least monthly to the attending physician and employer regarding an injured employee's progress. The preparation and submission of written reports or progress notes to the employer by the provider of service other than a physician are an integral part of the service fee.

(i) Treatments may include up to four procedures, up to four modalities, or a combination of up to four procedures and modalities, and the visit shall not exceed sixty minutes per injury. When treating more than one injury, treatments may include up to six procedures, up to six modalities, or a combination of up to six procedures and modalities, and the entire visit shall not exceed ninety minutes. This section applies to providers of service other than physicians including physical therapists, occupational therapists, massage therapists, and acupuncturists.

(j) Any provider of service other than a physician who exceeds the treatment guidelines without proper authorization shall not be compensated for the unauthorized services.

(k) No compensation shall be allowed for preparing treatment plans and written justification for treatments which exceed the guidelines.

(l) Failure to comply with the requirements in this section may result in denial of fees.

(m) Therapy by physical therapists and occupational therapists, prescribed on an in-patient basis in a licensed acute care hospital where the injured employee's level of care is medically appropriate for an acute setting as determined by community standards or, prescribed on an out-patient post-surgery basis not to exceed thirty calendar days, are excluded from the frequency of treatment guidelines specified herein.