Partner Article

MedCo: The Marmite of 2015

As many of you will already know, earlier this year, the government announced reforms to the medical reporting industry to ensure that it is no longer possible for claimant lawyers to source reports from an individual or organisation with which they have a financial link.

As of April 2015, the government introduced MedCo, a portal which randomly allocates medical experts to claims relating to soft tissue injuries. The portal provides a claimant’s lawyers with seven randomly generated medical report providers, which are selected on the basis of a range of factors including geographic location. The introduction of MedCo was the result of a string of measures brought in to help improve the transparency of costs in relation to whiplash injuries; however, it brings with it a new set of challenges for medical reporting organisations and solicitors alike.

The introduction of MedCo has been one of the most significant shake ups to the claims market in recent times, and one which was intended to ensure more independence and competition in the industry and reduce the potential for conflict of interests between closely associated parties.

The claims industry has often attracted criticism and has been associated with several negative misconceptions. One of the aims of MedCo was to remove any ambiguity regarding the extent of a person’s injuries, and the resulting treatment costs involved. It is hoped that removing the potential for a conflict of interests between the client’s legal firm and the medical expert conducting the report will ensure that this is the case.

Many of the big players in medico-legal reporting have, however, submitted multiple shell companies for inclusion on the portal, in order to increase their chances of exposure and selection in this competitive marketplace. As it stands today, three firms in particular appear to be reaping significantly more benefits than others. It has not gone unnoticed that some individuals attached to said firms have very close links with the MedCo board.

Questions have now been asked about the success of the portal system. Concerns have been raised over whether an individual might receive a lower standard of care due to the limited information that is provided about the short-listed companies. Some industry experts believe that the lack of freedom to select a preferred medico-legal agency, paired with insufficient details about the experience, expertise, and the size of operation of the companies listed on the portal could have a negative impact on members of the public.

Although the future of MedCo is uncertain, medico-legal reporting providers must not rest on their laurels. The onus lies with the medical reporting organisations to ensure that they firmly establish their reputation among the legal and insurance sectors independently. Companies must embrace the challenge, and make connections with new clients. Changes to business strategy are fundamental in succeeding in this changing environment.

On Medical is a great example of a medical reporting agency evolving as a result of the changes posed by MedCo. Growth is on the cards for the company, which has set out to challenge major names in the medical reporting industry. Funds have been earmarked for substantial investment over the next twelve months, to enable extensive staff recruitment, as well as training and development. This will allow On Medical to grow the current team of 35 staff, 12 physiotherapists and a network of over 500 medical experts nationwide.

Operators who previously relied on long-standing relationships have considerable work to do to go it alone. As a firm, we at On Medical are confident that we can offer high levels of expertise to those in both the legal and insurance sectors, and their clients. We are positive that we will build upon the success we have enjoyed since April of this year, and continue to strengthen our reputation as one of the leading names in medico-legal reporting.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by On Medical .