Disability claims
LTD examinations that answer the policy questions, not just the diagnosis
We coordinate the examination and deliver a report that tests job demands, duration, and restrictions, so the file can move.
The problem
The report recites the chart and never answers own occupation
You asked whether this person can do this job, and for how long. What comes back is a diagnosis and a prognosis. The own-occupation period is already ending, and human resources still cannot set restrictions.
- The job description is missing or two years stale.
- Attending physician statements contradict the specialist notes.
- The own-occupation period ends while records are still outstanding.
- Psychiatric and physical questions get mixed in one report.
- Restrictions have no review date anyone can use.
What changes
What IMECore does about it
Questions about the job, not only the diagnosis
Your referral names the occupation, the demands, and whether the question is own occupation or any occupation. The report answers each one separately.
Attending records and the job file, collected
We gather physician statements, specialist notes, pharmacy, and a current job description, and show you the gaps.
Own occupation kept separate from any occupation
The report treats own occupation, any occupation, and duration as distinct answers. A reviewer checks each one.
The right specialty for the question
Psychiatry, physiatry, or occupational medicine. We match the examiner to what your file actually asks.
Restrictions with a review date
Each restriction carries a scope and a review date, so the employer gets capability they can act on.
A committed date, visible from referral
Specialist diaries run long. You see the committed report date from the day you refer.
How it runs
Four steps, start to finish
- 1
Send the LTD referral
Send the policy question, the occupation, and the date the own-occupation period ends.
- 2
We collect the job and the chart
We request attending statements, specialist notes, pharmacy, and a current job description.
- 3
We book the specialty your questions need
Psychiatry, physiatry, or occupational medicine, matched to the question, with the report date set.
- 4
You get duration and restrictions, answered
We release the report once own occupation, any occupation, and each restriction have answers.
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
- Average examiner time per IME across review, exam, and report
- ~6.5 hoursAverage examiner time per IME across review, exam, and reportSEAK 2024 IME fee survey
Free tools
Try the calculation first
No account, no upload. These run in your browser.
- Free tool
IME cost estimator
Estimate the fee range for an independent medical examination by province, specialty, and report type. Built from published fee guides.
Read - Free tool
Interpreter and accommodation planner
Select the language, accessibility needs, and material requirements. The planner builds the interpreter booking, break schedule, and room checklist.
Read - 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.
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FAQ
Questions people ask
Is an LTD examination the same as a SABS insurer examination?
No. LTD sits on the disability policy, not on the SABS. The questions are occupation, duration, and restrictions. Ontario FSRA SABS rules do not govern the file.
What records does the examiner need?
Attending physician statements, specialist notes, pharmacy, imaging, and a current description of job demands. Without the job file, the own-occupation question has nothing to test.
Can the employer see the diagnosis?
The employer view shows capability and restriction. Clinical detail stays with the insurer and the examiner unless the employee consents to more.
What if we only need a paper review?
Ask for a Medical File Review on the same questions. It helps when a specialist examination will not land in time. It cannot speak to current presentation.
How do we handle a change from own occupation to any occupation?
Put both questions on the referral. The report treats them as separate answers with separate dates.
Keep reading
Related pages
- For teams
Insurers and adjusters
We deliver Independent Medical Examinations, Functional Capacity Evaluations, and Medical File Reviews for ICBC Part 7, Ontario SABS, Section B, LTD, and life and health files. A named reviewer signs off every report before it reaches your desk.
Read - For teams
Employers
We arrange fitness-to-work and return-to-work assessments, Functional Capacity Evaluations (Functional Abilities Evaluation or FAE in Ontario), Physical Demands Analyses, and Job Site Assessments. You receive capability and restriction against the duties you named, and the employee is told what the appointment is, who ordered it, and who sees the report.
Read - For teams
Examiner network
Referrals arrive in the examiner portal with sorted records and the questions beside the draft. You set availability. The coordination team handles records, scheduling, and review. Apply at /examiners/apply.
Read - Claim type
File review, no exam
The examiner reviews the records and delivers an opinion that says exactly what the paper supports, and what it does not.
Read - Service
Independent Medical Examination
An independent physician examines the person, reviews the records, and answers the referral's questions in a signed report. Insurers, employers, and law firms order one when the treatment notes alone cannot settle diagnosis, causation, or work capacity.
Read - Service
Psychological Assessment
A psychologist interviews the examinee, runs standardized testing where the questions need it, and reports diagnosis, function, and accommodation in a signed report. Insurers and employers order one when mood, behaviour, or cognition, not the body, is what keeps the person from working.
Read - Service
Psychiatric Assessment
A psychiatrist interviews the examinee, reviews the records, and reports diagnosis, causation, and work capacity from a medical perspective, including the role of medication. Insurers, employers, and counsel order one when the question is a mental disorder and what it means for function.
Read - Service
Psycho-Vocational Assessment
A psychologist or vocational assessor tests aptitudes, reads the work history as skills, and reports what work the person can still do and what retraining it would take. Insurers and employers order one — often called an employability or labour-market re-entry (LMR) assessment — when the question is not the diagnosis but which jobs remain open.
Read
Refer a case, get back a signed report
Send the referral and the questions. A coordinator confirms the file and what it still needs, then IMECore coordinates the examination and delivers a signed report.