HealthIE Network is a company based out of Pompano Beach, Florida and claims to be helping injured workers with obtaining quality medical treatment. Representatives of HealthIE are calling injured workers directly over the phone, even those represented by an attorney, and getting them to sign a form letter that appears to request a change in medical doctors. The letter is being mistaken by both injured workers and carriers for the statutory request for one-time change an injured worker is provided under the law. Under Section 440.13(2)(f), Florida Statutes (2011), the injured employee is allowed a one-time change of physician for the life of the case. The request must be in writing and once care is transferred to another doctor or facility, the original treating doctor is no longer authorized to treat the work injury. This means the injured worker loses access to the original doctor, and often times this is not fully explained. Why would someone want to trick injured workers and the carrier into changing from the existing treating doctor to another doctor? Money, of course. Read on!
When HealthIE Network gets an injured worker to sign the letter requesting another doctor, the company sets up a virtual doctor’s appointment where a physician communicates with the worker and performs a pseudo examination in a video conferencing forum. Then, HealthIE Network sends the medical bill to the carrier for payment as a one-time change in provider without the knowledge or intent of the injured worker or his/her attorney. Often times, the attorney for the injured worker finds out after the fact because the injured worker simply complies with the request as he/she believes the appointment was set by the carrier or their attorney.
The address associated with the company appears to be a UPS Store in Pompano Beach, Florida. The entity was first registered in Florida as an LLC in June 2016, and recently changed its name from HealthIE Network to Health for the Injured Employee, LLC, on October 11, 2016, possibly since carriers, attorneys, and workers are catching on to the scam. The registered agents of the entity are also affiliated with Stars & Stripes Pharmacy, LLC, and Prescribers Choice Pharmacy and are prescribing medications during the virtual exam, using the affiliated pharmacies to fill the prescription, and billing the carrier for same.
If you are an injured worker, please be on the lookout for any phone call from an entity claiming to provide help for you in your case. When you are a client of Syfrett, Dykes & Furr, our office will contact you before having you attend any new appointments, and you should ALWAYS contact us before attending any appointment someone else sets for you with new medical or vocational providers. It may just be a scam!
If you have questions about your workers compensation case, call Syfrett, Dykes & Furr for a free consultation. (850) 785-4442.