This bill amends the existing workers' compensation law to establish a 90-day time limit for health care providers to apply to the commissioner for resolution of disputes regarding the reasonable value of services provided. Specifically, it requires that before an application is made, the health care provider must notify the employer or the employer's insurance carrier of their disagreement within 45 days of payment. Additionally, the application to the commissioner can only be made if no more than 45 days have passed since this notification.

The bill also clarifies that the commissioner has exclusive jurisdiction to determine the reasonable value of services or care in disputes between employers or their insurance carriers and service providers, but only after it is established that reasonable efforts to resolve the dispute have failed. The new legal language inserted into the law emphasizes the need for prior notification and the timeline for applications, while the bill deletes any previous provisions that may conflict with these new requirements. The act is set to take effect 60 days after its passage.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 281-A:24