2010 BC Guide in Determining Fitness to Drive

6.4 Requesting specialist assessmentsPolicy6.4.1 A case manager or adjudicator will contact the physician whosubmitted the DMER if further information on an individual’smedical condition, or the individual’s response to, or compliancewith, treatment is required that may require a specialist assessment.6.4.2 If the physician indicates that:(a) the information can only be provided by a specialist(b) there is no specialist assessment on the individual’s file, and(c) a specialist assessment is not medically necessarythe case manager or adjudicator will request a specialistassessment.6.4.3 The case manager or adjudicator will clearly articulate the scope ofthe required specialist assessment in the request.6.4.4 The case manager or adjudicator will review the policies outlinedin the Driver Fitness Assessment Payment Policy Manual todetermine the appropriate payment for a specialist assessment.Policy rationaleSpecialist assessments are assessments performed by physicians with aspecialization in a particular area of medicine or medical condition. Manyindividuals are assessed by specialists during the course of the diagnosisand treatment of a medical condition and OSMV may request and obtaincopies of those assessments from the physician who submitted the DMER.However, in some cases, a specialist assessment will not be medicallynecessary, but will provide further information that is required in order fora case manager or adjudicator to make a determination of driver fitness.Because OSMV should not pay for specialist assessments that aremedically necessary, a case manager or adjudicator will only request aspecialist assessment if the physician who completed the initial driver’smedical examination indicates that a specialist assessment is not necessaryfor medical purposes, even though it is necessary for purposes of a driverfitness determination.41