Frequently Asked Questions
Dr. Cohen will gladly confer with you about any additional questions. Please contact us.
For Insurers
ICCN’s network is national and international. Please contact us for more details.
ICCN will work with you to meet your timeline needs. Most evaluations, per request, are scheduled for 3 to 5 weeks after submission of the referral. You set the specifications. Expedited assessments are not unusual.
Typically, our expert providers’ reports are received within two weeks of the IME. Should you require a faster turnaround time, we will work with you to make sure you can meet your deadlines.
Dr. Lori Cohen is available to speak with you about your claim and recommend a specialist for you. Contact ICCN to schedule a free initial consultation. Every claim is unique but some things to keep in mind when choosing a psychological specialist are listed below.
- Psychiatric (M.D.) IME or File Review: There are two common reasons to have a psychiatrist conduct an IME or Peer Review. The first is if the claimant is receiving treatment from a psychiatrist who has diagnosed a psychiatric illness. If the case becomes court-involved, this allows the trier of fact to compare opinions between “like” providers. Secondly, if you have questions about the effectiveness or appropriateness of the psychotropic medications that the claimant has been prescribed, an M.D. is likely the most qualified specialist to opine on this aspect of the claimant’s care. ICCN uses information about the nature of the claim and assigns a specialist with the appropriate experience.
- Psychological (Ph.D.) IME or File Review: If the claimant is complaining of a psychological injury or illness such as depression, anxiety, or PTSD (or any other mental health difficulty), a psychologist, as part of their thorough evaluation, will administer and interpret a battery of psychometric tests, including validity testing. The psychologist will then synthesize data from a comprehensive clinical interview, interpret test results, and review all available records in forming their evidence-based opinions.
- Neuropsychological (Ph.D.) IME or File review: If the claimant sustained a head injury, or is reporting neurocognitive deficits, one should consider utilizing the services of a neuropsychologist. A neuropsychological exam may also be indicated by such symptoms as memory loss, headaches, and decreased capacity for concentration, to name a few. A neuropsychologist will administer a full battery of psychological tests with additional specific testing to determine the level and nature of the claimant’s cognitive impairment, if any.
Yes, ICCN has an extensive national network of medical doctors who conduct forensic evaluations. The specialists included in our network are board-certified in cardiology, infectious disease, internal medicine, neurology, occupational and environmental medicine, orthopedics, physical medicine and rehabilitation, otolaryngology, and others.
Absolutely!
ICCN has developed questions that are specific to the specialty of the IME doctor, and we will provide them to you for your review and approval. You may add to or change the questions, or you may prefer to develop your own questions. Dr. Cohen is glad to confer with you to develop case-specific questions, or consult with you to craft the questions that need addressed.
File and Peer reviews are excellent tools to help you get a clearer picture of the nature of a claim and to assist in determining the next steps in case assessment and management. A file review (or medical records review) consists of an appropriate expert analyzing the collected data and opining on the relevant questions. Peer Reviews involve conferring with or corresponding with treatment providers. Up-to-date and highly relevant data that allow for a more thorough understanding of the claim may be gathered with this type of review.
ICCN only works with M.D., Ph.D., and Psy.D. providers who are seasoned forensic evaluators. We pride ourselves in, and are known for, selecting providers with demonstrated excellence in their field.
For Attorneys
ICCN confers with you about your specific case, and recommends experts with a specialized knowledge base, experience, and credentials for assessing and opining on each case.
We have developed questions that apply to different types of claims, and for different types of specialists. We are also glad to review records and develop questions tailored to each case. We always submit our questions for your review and defer to your questions/choices on each case. You are free to use some, all, or none of our questions.
Yes.
For Employers
Yes, we match our educator to your specific audience and your required needs.
Yes, we work with your existing administrators and specialists to develop a program and process that successfully addresses the psychiatric components of your employees' concerns.
No, while on-location services are strongly recommended for some situations, many of our services may be conducted remotely. Please ask for details.
For IMEs
To be considered for our network, ICCN asks that you submit several documents including, but not limited to, C.V., Fee Schedule, Proof of License and insurance, and redacted sample report. All potential providers will be reviewed for a history of appropriate ethical and professional standards.
Being a part of our network does not guarantee any referrals. Referrals are based on the referring party’s specifications, specialty requested, and location of claimants, among other factors.
If you are contacted about your interest and availability to conduct a specific IME, ICCN’s President, Dr. Lori Cohen, will also contact you in order to share information about ICCN’s processes and to offer you an opportunity to ask any questions that you may have. You will then work with an assigned IME administrator for the entire evaluation process. Your ICCN contact will work with you on scheduling, acquisition of records, Peer Review or IME questions, meeting room reservations, if needed, and the billing process. We are here to assist you.
ICCN does not set rates for IMEs. The expert providers set their own rates for the evaluations.
On average, most IMEs require a 3-4 week scheduling time due to notification requirements for all parties. In some instances, a case may need to have an expedited evaluation timeline which will be communicated to you by ICCN at the onset of scheduling.
While most referring parties request a 2-week turn-around time from the date of the IME, there are exceptions. Some request a more expedited turn-around time, which you would be advised of prior to solidifying IME arrangements. If you require additional time to complete the report due to unforeseen circumstances, you are asked to submit an explanation for the delay ASAP so that ICCN may advise the referring party.
We respect and appreciate the unique skills of our IME providers, and do not require that a template be followed. However, we do have general recommendations for areas of inquiry for the evaluation, and we do require that you address the specific questions asked of you in the report.
You are responsible for arranging your own transportation to and from the IME location. ICCN will make meeting room arrangements and, if needed, guest room accommodations for you as well.
We request that you wait on site for 1 hour in case the claimant has been temporarily delayed by traffic or scheduling conflicts. We require that you contact ICCN within ten or fifteen minutes if a claimant does not appear for the start time of the IME. This enables us to contact the insurer who may then either confirm the claimant’s intent to attend, or confirm the need to reschedule.
Payment systems vary from insurer to insurer. ICCN provides payment information and contact details to you for each case.