Purpose And Scope

(1) Purpose. The purpose of the Medical Impairment Rating Registry Program is to comply with and implement Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-204(d)(5) and (6) by establishing a resource to resolve disputes regarding the degree of permanent medical impairment ratings for injuries or occupational diseases to which the Law is applicable. In order to ensure high-quality independent medical impairment evaluations, the Bureau establishes these Rules for parties and physicians. MIR Registry physicians shall provide evaluations in a manner consistent with the standard of care in their community and in compliance with these Rules, as well as issue opinions based upon the applicable edition of the AMA Guides™ to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment or other appropriate method pursuant to the Act. (2) Scope. The MIR Registry is available to any party with a dispute of the degree of medical impairment rating as defined herein for injuries or any occupational disease which occurred on or after July 1, 2005. The only aspect considered by a MIR Registry physician shall be the degree of permanent medical impairment and shall not be apportioned unless directed to do so by the written agreement of all parties, as submitted to the Program Coordinator. If multiple pathologies are present in the same disputed body part or organ system, the MIR Physician may address causation solely as a means of obtaining the correct degree of permanent medical impairment, as stipulated by AMA Guides™ methodology.