Statement of Wayne V. Polek, M.D., President, Illinois State Medical Society

Chicago, IL – “First, do no harm” is the bedrock of medical practice. Yet, Governor Quinn’s expected signing today of a new workers compensation “reform” law will hurt injured workers, by compromising their timely access to medical care.

By harvesting “savings” primarily from large payment schedule cuts to doctors and hospitals, the law undermines funding for injured workers’ medical care. We predict injured workers will wait longer for care, thus triggering higher medical care costs and delays in their return to work. 

The law’s one-sided approach of price controls does nothing to reform Illinois’ onerous rules, late payments and inefficient bureaucracy – all of which have become defining characteristics of our state’s notoriously dysfunctional system. We (again) call upon Governor Quinn to veto this measure, and instead work for real work comp reform. 

ISMS is a professional membership association representing 12,000
physicians practicing in all medical specialties statewide.
Dr. Polek is an anesthesiologist from St. Charles, IL.