July 1, 2013 Changes to Worker’s Compensation and Occupational Diseases Act
HEA 1320 was signed into law May 11, 2013. It was amended several times, and the final version was passed with the understanding that, this summer, the interim study committee on insurance would look into a number of the issues over which there was still conflict. Included on the list of topics the committee will consider are: a floor for the fee schedule concerning payments to medical service facilities, payment to hospital employed physicians, “clean claim” provisions, electronic submission of medical bills and payment thereof, reimbursement for implants and establishment of an advisory committee on workers’ compensation and occupational diseases issues.
Substantive changes in the law include:
- creation of a fee schedule for medical service providers and medical service facilities (addressed more fully here) along with procedural provisions for provider fee claims,
- phased in benefit increases beginning July 1, 2014,
- reimposition of the filing fee under IC 22-3-5-2,
- allowance of policy periods shorter than one year,
- adoption of a single definition of “independent contractor,”
- amendment of provisions pertaining to the data collected by the Indiana Compensation Rating Bureau, and
- direction to the Interim Study Committee on Insurance regarding workers’ compensation issues to be investigated and reported upon during the summer of 2013.