Introduced by Pennsylvania State Senator Michele Brooks on November 17, 2025, PA Senate Bill 1151 aims to expand the number of Pennsylvania physicians who are qualified to render IREs.

As it currently stands, Section 306(a.3)(1) of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act asserts that a physician performing an IRE must be licensed in this Commonwealth, certified by an American Board of Medical Specialties approved board or its osteopathic equivalent, and who is active in clinical practice for at least twenty hours per week. An IRE certified physician who satisfies these requirements is then chosen by agreement of the parties, or as designated by the department, pursuant to the most recent edition of the American Medical Association “Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment,” 6th edition.

Senator Brooks’s proposed legislation would simply abolish the requirement that a physician must be active in clinical practice for at least twenty hours a week. Doing so would allow qualified physicians to transition into retirement and still be able to perform IREs, while simultaneously maintaining a healthy supply of IRE certified physicians within the commonwealth.

The number of statewide IRE certified physicians decreased from forty five in August of 2021 to thirty five in 2025. In particular, Allegheny County currently only has two IRE certified physicians, both of whom are approaching retirement age. Cumberland County only has one IRE certified physician, and Beaver, Butler, Indiana, Montour, Pike, Westmoreland and Wyoming Counties do not have any.

The enactment of PA Senate Bill 1151 would theoretically widen the pool of available IRE certified physicians. Naturally, this would grant Workers’ Compensation attorneys and insurance carriers greater flexibility in scheduling IREs. In turn, claimants would enjoy potentially shorter commute times when travelling to IRE appointments.

Questions about this proposed legislation can be directed to Eli Weisman at 610.332.7023 or eweisman@tthlaw.com.