Q: Can I have my nurse case manager replaced?
She has decided what doctor I will see, cancels my appointments to fit her schedule, and makes appointments without my knowledge. Has went so far as to give these doctors my personal information. What has happened to my rights as a human? Should I not be allowed to decide what doctor I will see and when. Let alone she knows I do not drive so she has made them 45 minutes away. Please advise.
A: You can ask that she be replaced, but it is not likely to be done. She works for the insurance company, not you. She is paid by the insurance company. Her job is to get the doctors to pay you as little as possible. And, while she may be at times friendly, she is not your friend. The Iowa Republican controlled legislature made some changes effective July 1, 2017 making it nearly impossible for claimant attorneys (you are a claimant, so I am talking about your attorney) to get paid to represent you during the case management phase. As a result you will likely be "on your own" to battle the nurse case manager, who is nothing more than a high-priced spy whose goal is likely aligned with destroying any case you may have for permanent partial disability benefits. If you feel like you have no rights then either pull the lever in the polling booth for the Democratic Party candidate or learn to live with it. And if you didn't vote that is the same as voting for the Republican Party who took away the rights of the workers. Welcome to the 2017 version of Iowa Workers' Compensation. Hopefully this puts things in perspective.
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