Agreed Medical Evaluator
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An Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME) refers to a situation in which both parties involved in a legal matter agree on a specific physician to conduct an Independent Medical Evaluation.
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If an individual has legal representation (an attorney), that attorney and the claims administrator (usually representing an insurance company) can mutually select a doctor for the evaluation.
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This approach allows for the selection of a medical evaluator without having to follow the California state system used to choose a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME).
Overall, the text clarifies the distinction between an Agreed Medical Evaluator (AME) and a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME), particularly in the context of legal proceedings and medical evaluations. If you have further questions or need more information, feel free to ask.
Difference Between AME and QME:
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A Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME) is chosen from a list of state-certified doctors provided by the DWC (Division of Workers' Compensation) Medical Unit. The QME list is generated randomly.
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An AME can be utilized if an individual is represented by an attorney; both parties (attorney and claims administrator) agree on a doctor for the evaluation.
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Once an individual sees an AME, they are not entitled to see a QME for the same issue.
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An AME can be used regardless of the year of injury, while there might be specific regulations related to the timing of using a QME.
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An AME physician can be a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME), but it's not a requirement. In other words, an AME might or might not also be on the QME list.
