Ep 07 Why Workers Comp Claims Get Rejected | Certificate of Capacity & IME Explained (Australia)

“Unfortunately, back pain is not a diagnosis. Back pain is a symptom.” Most people think workers compensation is about treatment. In reality, many claims stall because of small but critical details in the paperwork. In this episode of Behind the Claim, Stephen speaks with Dr Danny Tang from Patrick Street Medical Centre, a GP with more than 30 years’ experience in occupational health and workers compensation in Australia. They discuss why workers comp claims get rejected or delayed, including: Writing “back pain” instead of a clear medical diagnosis Leaving sections of the Certificate of Capacity incomplete Failing to properly link the injury to the workplace Errors around the date of injury Why workers comp paperwork differs from standard GP documentation Dr Tang explains why some GPs are confident in managing workplace injuries while others struggle. It is not about clinical ability. It is about understanding how the scheme operates and what insurers require to approve treatment. The episode also covers: What IMC (Independent Medical Consultant) and IME (Independent Medical Examination) assessments are designed to do How capacity is assessed What “suitable duties” and return to work actually mean Real examples of serious workplace injuries seen in practice If you have an active workers compensation claim, or you are unsure why your claim has been delayed or rejected, this episode explains what happens behind the scenes and why choosing the right treating provider matters. 🔗 Learn more about Dr Danny Tang: https://www.patrickmedical.com.au/ ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 – Why “back pain” is not a diagnosis 3:50 – Regular GP vs workers comp GP 5:20 – Certificate of Capacity mistakes 9:30 – Date of injury explained 13:15 – Linking injury to work 21:30 – IMC and IME explained 34:30 – Capacity and return to work 1:06:50 – Severe injuries in practice 1:08:10 – How to find Dr Tang 🔗 Listen & connect Catch every episode early! Subscribe free on Spotify: https://sptfy.bio/behindtheclaims and Apple: https://apple.co/48Etptt 📲 Need assistance? Call us on 1300 391 947 👉 https://www.ausrehab.com/contact/ 📣 Follow us for more Instagram:   / ausrehab   Facebook:   / ausrehab   LinkedIn:   / ausrehab   Website: https://www.ausrehab.com/ Email: [email protected] Podcast Playlist    • Behind the Claims Podcast   #workerscomp #WorkCover #CertificateOfCapacity #occupationalhealth #IME #returntowork #behindtheclaim #ausrehab