icare NSW Chooses ODG For Evidence-Based Guideline Automation and Adjudication Of Claims Following Successful Pilot

New South Wales, Australia, Aug. 28 , 2017 – icare NSW, the New South Wales Government’s insurance and care services provider, and the largest workers’ compensation insurance company in Australia, has entered into an enterprise-wide license with Official Disability Guidelines (ODG) for use of the Web version and automation inside their claim’s management software platform, following a successful 16-month pilot.

ODG will be used for implementation and automation of evidence-based decision support for return-to-work, medical treatment, and risk assessment for Nominal Insurer workers’ compensation claims in the state.

“We are pleased to be formalizing a partnership with icare following their 16-month pilot, and look forward to bringing ODG evidence-based decision support to the workers’ compensation system in New South Wales. We have a shared vision with leadership at icare for delivering optimal health and return-to-work outcomes for more than 284,000 NSW employers and 3.4 million workers across the private sector, with the worker at the center of a collaboration between provider, payer, and employer,” said Phil LeFevre, Managing Director for ODG.

icare Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Chris Colquhoun said: “We selected ODG as a partner because of their strong track record, evidence-based methodology, and unique customer experience. We conducted ample due diligence and engaged other insurers and jurisdictions, who reported favorable experiences.

“The ODG will allow icare to ensure quality evidence-based care is delivered quickly, with auto-authorization and minimal friction to ensure injured workers receive the treatment they need as soon as possible. Furthermore, ODG is being customized with de-identified NSW claims specific data and Australian health-related codes to ensure all recommendations are aligned for the Australian context”, Dr. Colquhoun said.

The contract became effective on 19 June 2017, with auto-authorization expected to go live in early 2018.

About icare
icare (Insurance & Care NSW) is the insurance and care services provider for New South Wales. We ensure 3.4 million workers, motorists, and builders and 284,000 employers. For more information, visit: www.icare.nsw.gov.au

About ODG
ODG (mcghstage.wpengine.com/odg) provides clinical guidelines and analytical tools designed to improve and benchmark return-to-work performance, facilitate quality care while limiting inappropriate utilization, assess claim risk for interventional triage, and set reserves based on industry data. Evidence-based guidelines from ODG span the continuum of workers’ compensation and group life/disability cases, supporting clinical decisions, return to work and care planning, and facilitating better communications between providers and payors. ODG is the workers’ compensation and group disability product from MCG (mcghstage.wpengine.com).