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ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESFifty-seventh Legislature First Regular Session |
Senate: FIN DP 6-1-0-0 | 3rd Read 24-3-3-0 |
SB 1551: workers' compensation; disability; definitions
Sponsor: Senator Leach, LD 17
Committee on Commerce
Overview
Changes the basis of the schedule of fees relating to workers' compensation.
History
The Industrial Commission of Arizona (ICA) administers and enforces state laws relating to the protection of life, health, safety and welfare of Arizona's employees, including workers' compensation. Worker’s compensation insurance provides coverage of medical costs, rehabilitation and lost wages for an employee who has suffered injury or illness in the course of performing job related duties (Title 23, Chapter 6, A.R.S.).
Every employer and physician who attends an injured employee of that employer must file a full and complete report of every known injury to the employee arising out of or in the course of employment and resulting in the loss of life or injury with the ICA and the employer's insurance carrier from time to time. The ICA must fix a schedule of fees to be charged by physicians, physical therapists or occupational therapists attending injured employees and for prescriptions required to treat an injured employee. The ICA must annually review the schedule of fees (A.R.S. § 23-908).
An employee who is injured by accident arising out of and in the course of employment receives a statutorily fixed compensation based on the employee's average monthly wage. For temporary total disability, the compensation is 66.67% of their average monthly wage for the period of disability with an additional allowance of $25 per month for employee's with dependents (A.R.S. §§ 23-1041, 20-1044).
Provisions
1. Changes the schedule of fees for workers' compensation to be associated with charges for medical care, dental care and supplies that are received by injured employees, rather than charges by physicians, physical therapists or occupational therapists attending injured employees. (Sec. 2)
2. Exempts contracts that are necessary to develop and publish a fee schedule related to dental care from the requirements of the State Procurement Code. (Sec. 2)
3. Instructs the ICA to publish the schedule of fees on its website. (Sec. 2)
4. Adds that the ICA is not required to publish the schedule of fees in the Arizona Administrative Register. (Sec. 2)
5. Increases, from $25 to $100, the monthly dependent allowance provided to an employee in addition to compensation for a temporary total disability. (Sec. 3)
6. Modifies the definition of interest party to include the third-party administrator or an authorized representative of a deceased employee. (Sec. 1)
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10. SB 1551
11. Initials PB Page 0 Commerce
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