Executive Chair’s Update – February 2020
Published: 4 February 2020
Reforms
I am pleased to report that MedCo has continued to prepare, and is on target, for implementation of the reforms in April 2020.
Testing of the recently constructed application interface between the MedCo portal and the Official Injury Claims (OIC) portal was successfully completed within the original estimated timeframe. A small selection of volunteer medical reporting organisations (MROs) and medical experts (MEs) will shortly begin user testing of the systems.
All medical report providers will soon be sent information regarding any proposed new Ministry of Justice (MoJ) qualifying criteria and/or MedCo rules. Details of the auditing programme for those MROs and MEs who elect to opt into unrepresented claimant work will be published by MedCo thereafter.
I highly recommend that medical report providers who wish to engage in unrepresented claimant work should immediately familiarise themselves with the new MoJ qualifying criteria (QC) as soon as they have been published. Providers will be audited on the new QC on a “first come – first served” basis. Only those who have chosen to “opt in” and successfully passed the audit will be returned in searches by unrepresented claimants through the OIC.
Whilst the are still several issues that need to be resolved I am confident that MedCo will be able to offer a full nationwide coverage of medical report providers to unrepresented claimants on the “go live” date in April 2020.
Events
MedCo is currently planning a series of events to update all Users on the reforms and how these will impact on their businesses, including a demonstration of the new web service for unrepresented claimants and the requirements for those Users who choose to deal directly with them. Details of these events will be published soon.
Charging Policy
MedCo recently published a survey inviting all users to express their views on various options for a new charging policy for 2020. Please take this opportunity to let us know your views. The survey closed on Thursday 13th February.
When the survey closes the results will be analysed and the MedCo board will notify users of the charges as soon as possible thereafter.
Martin Heskins
Executive Chair
