What do fee schedules in workers' compensation aim to achieve?

Fee schedules in workers' compensation systems are designed to set maximum allowable payments for medical services. This approach provides a structured and predictable framework for compensating healthcare providers who treat workers injured on the job. By establishing specific limits for how much can be billed for various medical services, fee schedules aim to control medical costs, prevent excessive billing, and ensure fairness in the compensation process both for injured workers and employers.

The rationale behind using fee schedules is to create consistency across different cases and providers. This helps avoid disparity in payment rates for similar services, which can lead to confusion and inequities. Additionally, by having a clear payment structure, it streamlines the processing of claims and helps expedite the delivery of medical care to injured workers.

The other options do not accurately capture the primary purpose of fee schedules in workers' compensation. While they may touch on related concepts, only the establishment of maximum allowable payments for medical services directly aligns with the primary objective of fee schedules.