Senate Bill No. introduced by G. Hertz aims to revise Montana's workers' compensation laws, particularly focusing on the conditions under which benefits may be ordered and the exceptions to these conditions. The bill amends Section 39-71-610 to stipulate that benefits can only be ordered if the claimant demonstrates a greater than 50% likelihood of prevailing in their claim. It also specifies that disputes regarding the insurer's selection of a treating physician, refusal to cooperate with medical care, unaccepted body parts, and other related issues are excluded from this section. Additionally, the bill allows for the reimbursement of compensation payments to insurers if it is later determined that they were not liable.

Further amendments in Sections 39-71-615 and 39-71-1106 clarify that insurers can pay medical claims without accepting liability and must notify workers of such payments. Insurers are also granted the authority to terminate compensation benefits if a worker fails to comply with medical treatment requirements, including cooperation with the insurer's selected physician or a nurse case manager. Overall, the bill seeks to streamline the process of workers' compensation claims while establishing clearer guidelines for both insurers and claimants.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 39-71-610, 39-71-615, 39-71-1106
SB0346_1(1): 39-71-610, 39-71-615, 39-71-1106
SB0346_1: 39-71-610, 39-71-615, 39-71-1106