CAT determination
Test the file against the catastrophic criteria, page by page
Ontario CAT files turn on specific SABS tests. Thickness of the record set is not one of them.
The problem
The file is thick. Nobody has tested it against the criteria.
A CAT referral asks whether the person meets the SABS catastrophic definition. The brief is a hospital dump plus rehab notes with no Glasgow score pulled forward. The examiner hunts for the criteria in hundreds of pages, and the report discusses disability in general instead of the test that pays.
- Acute-care scores are buried and never listed on the case.
- Physiatry, neurology, and psychiatry opinions are not sequenced.
- The report talks about impairment and never applies the SABS test.
- Plaintiff and insurer CAT files use different question lists on the same desk.
- The specialist wait blows the date the benefits decision needed.
What changes
What IMECore does about it
The SABS CAT questions are the case
Intake captures which catastrophic criteria the referrer wants tested. Those tests stay visible through review.
Acute care, rehab, and neuropsych in order
Hospital, Glasgow documentation, rehab, and neuropsychological testing attach by source and date. Gaps show before you book.
The right specialties, in the right order
CAT files often need physiatry, neurology, or psychiatry. Book them against the criteria, not against whoever had a slot.
The report has to apply the test
The template asks for a finding on each criterion you named. A general disability narrative will not pass review.
A date the benefits decision can use
Psychiatric and neurological diaries run long. The case shows the committed report date from the day it opens.
A trail for the dispute that follows
CAT files are fought. Export the records index, the criteria list, and the audit log with the report.
How it runs
Four steps, start to finish
- 1
Name the criteria on the referral
Record the accident date, the SABS CAT questions, and which tests the referrer wants applied.
- 2
Pull acute care before you book
Request hospital records, Glasgow documentation, rehab notes, and neuropsychological testing.
- 3
Book the specialties the tests need
Match physiatry, neurology, or psychiatry to the criteria, then set the report date.
- 4
Review against the criteria, not the narrative
Confirm each named SABS test has a finding, then release the report and the index.
Where the time goes
Numbers worth knowing before you buy
Published figures from fee schedules and industry surveys. Each carries its source.
- Typical BC psychiatric or neurological IME cost
- $4,000–$8,000+Typical BC psychiatric or neurological IME costlawyerinfo.ca, BC WCAT guide
- Typical wait to book a BC specialist IME
- 2–6 monthsTypical wait to book a BC specialist IMElawyerinfo.ca, BC WCAT guide
- Typical wait for the report after the exam in BC
- 4–8 weeksTypical wait for the report after the exam in BClawyerinfo.ca, BC WCAT guide
Free tools
Try the calculation first
No account, no upload. These run in your browser.
- Free tool
Records review time estimator
Turn a page count into a review-time range and a cost. Handwriting, duplication, and complexity all change the answer.
Read - Free tool
Report turnaround planner
Enter the exam date and the date you need the report. See the slack, the critical path, and the latest workable exam date.
Read - Free tool
Medical chronology builder
Paste dated lines from any file. Get a sorted chronology with gaps and duplicates flagged.
Read
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is catastrophic impairment only an Ontario SABS issue?
The CAT designation in this page means the Ontario SABS catastrophic definition, overseen by FSRA. Other provinces have serious-impairment questions, but they are not the same test.
Which records decide a CAT file?
Acute-care notes, Glasgow documentation, rehab, imaging, and neuropsychological testing. A family-doctor chart alone will not meet the criteria questions.
Who refers CAT assessments?
Accident-benefits insurers and plaintiff counsel. Defence counsel refer them when the CAT designation is in dispute.
Do we need more than one specialty?
Often yes. Physiatry, neurology, and psychiatry answer different criteria. Put each on the same case so the record set is shared.
Can we start with a file review?
Yes, to see whether the paper supports a CAT examination. A paper review cannot complete every SABS catastrophic test on its own.
Keep reading
Related pages
- Claim type
Auto and accident benefits
Ontario SABS and BC ICBC files stall when records and the examination live in different places.
Read - Claim type
Med-legal and litigation
Plaintiff and defence IMEs fail when you cannot prove what the examiner had, and when.
Read - For teams
Law firms
Every record is dated and sourced. Every step is logged. The report cites what it relies on.
Read - For teams
Insurers and adjusters
Send a referral, watch it move, and get the report on the date you were promised. No status calls.
Read
See it against one of your own files
Bring a case that keeps getting passed around. We will run it through IMECore on the call.