The BWC exam is not a doctor’s appointment
When the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation orders a medical examination, it is not for your benefit. The examining physician is not your treating doctor, was not chosen by you, and has no ongoing relationship with your care. The doctor is there to answer specific questions for the BWC or the Industrial Commission — questions about whether your condition is related to your work injury, whether you are still disabled, whether you need continued treatment, or whether you have reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI).
In Mike’s experience, the single biggest mistake injured workers make at a BWC exam is treating it like a regular doctor visit. They volunteer information, describe symptoms in excessive detail, discuss their personal life, and forget that every word they say will appear in a written report that the BWC, the employer, and the Industrial Commission will use to make decisions about their benefits.
The examiner’s report carries enormous weight in the workers’ comp system. A single sentence — “the claimant’s condition has reached maximum medical improvement” — can trigger the termination of TTD benefits. An opinion that your injury is “not causally related to the industrial incident” can undermine your entire claim. This is why preparation matters.
Ohio uses several types of BWC-ordered medical examinations, and understanding the differences helps you prepare for each one.
Types of BWC medical examinations
C-92 examination
The C-92 is the most common BWC-ordered medical examination. It can be requested by the BWC, the employer, or the Industrial Commission at any point during your claim. The examining physician — selected from a panel of BWC-approved doctors — conducts a physical examination, reviews your medical records, and issues a written report addressing specific questions posed by the requesting party.
Common questions addressed in a C-92 include: Is the claimant’s condition related to the work injury? Has the claimant reached MMI? What are the claimant’s current physical restrictions? Is continued treatment medically necessary? The answers to these questions directly impact your benefits.
90-day examination
The 90-day exam is a periodic review that occurs approximately every 90 days while you are receiving TTD benefits. Its primary purpose is to evaluate whether you remain temporarily and totally disabled. Under R.C. § 4123.56, the BWC has the authority to require these periodic examinations as a condition of continued TTD payment.
The 90-day exam is essentially a checkpoint. If the examining physician determines that you can return to work — in any capacity — the BWC may move to terminate your TTD benefits. This makes the 90-day exam particularly consequential for workers who are mid-recovery: feeling better than at the time of injury but not yet ready to return to their pre-injury job.
Independent Medical Examination (IME)
The term “independent medical examination” is sometimes used loosely to describe any BWC-ordered exam, but it most commonly refers to examinations requested by the employer’s legal team to support their position in a disputed claim. The examining doctor is selected by the employer — and despite the word “independent,” the doctor is being paid by the side that wants to minimize your claim.
Mike has a saying he shares with every client before an IME: “Loose lips sink ships.” The IME doctor is not your friend, not your advocate, and not your treatment provider. They are an evaluator with a specific agenda. Be honest, be brief, answer what is asked, and do not volunteer information.
Warning: You must attend every BWC-ordered examination. Under Ohio law, failure to appear at a scheduled exam without good cause can result in immediate suspension of all compensation and medical benefits. There are no second chances — the BWC treats a no-show as non-cooperation with the claims process.
How to prepare: Mike’s exam preparation guide
Based on decades of preparing clients for BWC examinations, Mike has developed a preparation approach that protects your interests without coaching you to be dishonest. The goal is always the same: present your condition accurately, completely, and in a way that the examiner cannot mischaracterize.
Before the examination
During the examination
After the examination: what happens next
After the examination, the doctor prepares a written report that is sent to the BWC, the employer, and — if you have one — your attorney. You have the right to request a copy of this report. Mike always obtains the report for his clients and reviews it carefully for errors, unsupported conclusions, and inconsistencies.
If the examiner’s report is unfavorable — for example, if it states you have reached MMI or that your condition is no longer related to the work injury — it does not automatically change your claim. The report is evidence, not a final decision. The BWC or the employer may use it to support a motion to terminate benefits, but you have the right to challenge that motion at an Industrial Commission hearing.
Challenging an unfavorable C-92 report typically involves obtaining a counter-report from your treating physician. Your doctor — who has treated you over months or years — provides a detailed narrative explaining why the C-92 examiner’s conclusions are incorrect. In Mike’s experience, treating physician opinions frequently prevail over C-92 reports at the hearing level, because the treating physician has a far deeper understanding of your condition.
The key is acting quickly. If a C-92 report leads to an order terminating your benefits, you have 14 days from receipt of the order to appeal. Do not wait to see if things work out. If you receive an unfavorable exam report, contact your attorney immediately to begin preparing your response.
Critical: After every BWC exam, write down everything you remember while it is fresh: what questions the doctor asked, what physical tests were performed, how long the exam lasted, and how the doctor behaved. These notes can be invaluable if you need to challenge the examiner’s report later.
Common pitfalls Mike has seen at BWC exams
Over decades of practice, Mike has identified the mistakes that most frequently harm injured workers during BWC examinations:
- Volunteering too much information — Workers who talk at length about their hobbies, daily activities, or prior injuries give the examiner material to argue against their claim. Answer what is asked, nothing more.
- Minimizing symptoms to appear tough — If you tell the examiner “it’s not too bad” when you are in significant pain, that statement will appear in the report as evidence that you are not seriously disabled.
- Exaggerating symptoms — Examiners are trained to detect inconsistencies. If you claim you cannot bend at all but the examiner observes you bending to tie your shoes, your credibility is destroyed for the entire report.
- Skipping the exam entirely — Missing a BWC-ordered exam is the fastest way to lose your benefits. There is no excuse the BWC considers sufficient unless you contact them before the appointment.
- Not documenting the experience afterward — If the examiner spent 7 minutes on a “comprehensive” evaluation, that fact matters. Write it down immediately. Your attorney can use it to challenge the report’s credibility.
Have a BWC exam coming up? Mike can help you prepare.
Free consultation — know exactly what to expect before you walk in.
BWC medical exams — common questions
Related topics
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How BWC exam results affect light-duty offers and your return-to-work obligations.
TTD benefits explained
How Temporary Total Disability benefits work and when a BWC exam can affect them.
Hearings and appeals
How to challenge an unfavorable C-92 report at the Industrial Commission.
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