Article ID: 1525e8c589f8ebafcb9015b462144d32f53841a260719c1d820853b67cfe8587
Source ID: secondary:businessinsurance.com
Published At: -
Extraction Method: bs4_heuristic
Body Text
Private prison operator ordered to cover spinal cord stimulator, psych eval - Business Insurance Skip to content Register for free Search Search Log In Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Risk Management Cyber Risks Pricing Trends Mergers & Acquisitions Technology Sponsored Content WSIA RISKWORLD Workers Comp & Safety Workers Comp Cost Control Pain Management Workplace Safety International EMEA Asia-Pacific Latin America People Events BI Intelligence Top 100 Agents & Brokers Best Places to Work 2025 Lists Directories Insurance Pricing BI Stock Index Magazine Current Issue Past Issues Subscribe Women to Watch ALL INsurance Resources Risk Perspectives Sponsored Content Webinars White Papers Private prison operator ordered to cover spinal cord stimulator, psych eval by Louise Esola Workers Comp Coverage , Workplace Safety Jul 21, 2026 A Tennessee workers compensation judge ruled Tuesday that a private prison operator must authorize a psychological evaluation and, if the injured worker is an appropriate candidate, a spinal cord stimulator despite repeated utilization review denials. In Docket No. 2024-10-5229, reported as 2026 TN WC 101, the Tennessee Court of Workers’ Compensation Claims found the opinion of the worker’s authorized pain-management physician more persuasive than those of utilization review doctors and the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s medical director. The worker, employed by CoreCivic of Tennessee, injured his neck in a January 2023 ladder fall and was diagnosed with cervical radiculopathy. After conservative treatment failed, his authorized physician recommended a trial using a Saluda spinal cord stimulator. The physician also recommended the psychological evaluation as a screening step to determine whether the worker was an appropriate candidate for the implanted device, and the court made a favorable evaluation a condition of authorization. Utilization review physicians repeatedly found the treatment was not medically necessary under the Official Disability Guidelines, which do not recommend spinal cord stimulators as a first-line treatment for chronic neck and upper-back conditions. The bureau’s medical director upheld the denials. The court said CoreCivic failed to rebut the statutory presumption that treatment recommended by an authorized physician is medically necessary. The treating physician had examined the worker for more than a year and explained why the procedure was appropriate, while the reviewing physicians had not examined him and relied primarily on the guidelines. The court said the guidelines are recommendations rather than binding standards or mandates. The judge denied the worker’s request to reinstate temporary disability benefits, finding he had been placed at maximum medical improvement in October 2023 and was presumed to remain at maximum medical improvement while receiving pain management. Related News City dodges a $2.2M premium oops July 21, 2026 Amgen settles shareholder lawsuit claiming it hid $10.7 billion tax bill July 21, 2026 Logistics company must cover worker’s lumbar fusion July 21, 2026 Broker M&A drops to lowest first-half level since 2016 July 21, 2026 Marsh invests in producers, AI as Q2 revenue rises July 21, 2026 Gallagher unit acquires Pennsylvania-based agency July 21, 2026 Houthis impose maritime embargo, block Red Sea gateway July 21, 2026 AliExpress hit with record $629M EU fine July 21, 2026 Government to take over $255M Wang Fuk Court fire claim July 21, 2026 Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Business Insurance is a singular, authoritative news and information source for executives focused upon risk management, risk transfer and risk financing. Never miss important news: Become a Business Insurance Online subscriber today Subscribe Now Information About Us Contact Advertise Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Copyright 2026. BUSINESS INSURANCE HOLDINGS Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
Metadata (JSON)
{
"score": 13.033333333333333
}