HOUSE BILL No. 5549 December 21, 2001, Introduced by Reps. Scranton, Tabor, Vander Roest, Hardman, Rocca, Mortimer, O'Neil, Schauer, Kowall, Kuipers and Jansen and referred to the Committee on Health Policy. A bill to amend 1969 PA 317, entitled "Worker's disability compensation act of 1969," by amending section 315 (MCL 418.315), as amended by 1998 PA 447. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 Sec. 315. (1) The employer shall furnish, or cause to be 2 furnished, to an employee who receives a personal injury arising 3 out of and in the course of employment, reasonable medical, sur- 4 gical, and hospital services and medicines, or other attendance 5 or treatment recognized by the laws of this state as legal, when 6 they are needed.However, an employer is not required to reim-7burse or cause to be reimbursed charges for an optometric service8unless that service was included in the definition of practice of9optometry under section 17401 of the public health code, 1978 PA10368, MCL 333.17401, as of May 20, 1992.An employer is not 04172'01 ** DKH 2 1 required to reimburse or cause to be reimbursed charges for 2 services performed by a profession that was not licensed or reg- 3 istered by the laws of this state on or before January 1, 1998, 4 but that becomes licensed, registered, or otherwise recognized by 5 the laws of this state after January 1, 1998. Attendant or nurs- 6 ing care shall not be ordered in excess of 56 hours per week if 7 the care is to be provided by the employee's spouse, brother, 8 sister, child, parent, or any combination of these persons. 9 After 10 days from the inception of medical care as provided in 10 this section, the employee may treat with a physician of his or 11 her own choice by giving to the employer the name of the physi- 12 cian and his or her intention to treat with the physician. The 13 employer or the employer's carrier may file a petition objecting 14 to the named physician selected by the employee and setting forth 15 reasons for the objection. If the employer or carrier can show 16 cause why the employee should not continue treatment with the 17 named physician of the employee's choice, after notice to all 18 parties and a prompt hearing by a worker's compensation magis- 19 trate, the worker's compensation magistrate may order that the 20 employee discontinue treatment with the named physician or pay 21 for the treatment received from the physician from the date the 22 order is mailed. The employer shall also supply to the injured 23 employee dental service, crutches, artificial limbs, eyes, teeth, 24 eyeglasses, hearing apparatus, and other appliances necessary to 25 cure, so far as reasonably possible, and relieve from the effects 26 of the injury. If the employer fails, neglects, or refuses so to 27 do, the employee shall be reimbursed for the reasonable expense 04172'01 ** 3 1 paid by the employee, or payment may be madeinON behalf of 2 the employee to persons to whom the unpaid expenses may be owing, 3 by order of the worker's compensation magistrate. The worker's 4 compensation magistrate may prorate attorney fees at the contin- 5 gent fee rate paid by the employee. 6 (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1), all fees 7 and other charges for any treatment or attendance, service, 8 devices, apparatus, or medicine under subsection (1), are subject 9 to rules promulgated by the bureau of worker's compensation pur- 10 suant to the administrative procedures act of 1969, 1969 PA 306, 11 MCL 24.201 to 24.328. The rules promulgated shall establish 12 schedules of maximum charges for the treatment or attendance, 13 service, devices, apparatus, or medicine, which schedule shall be 14 annually revised. A health facility or health care provider 15 shall be paid either its usual and customary charge for the 16 treatment or attendance, service, devices, apparatus, or medi- 17 cine, or the maximum charge established under the rules, which- 18 ever is less. 19 (3) The director of the bureau shall provide for an advisory 20 committee to aid and assist in establishing the schedules of max- 21 imum charges under subsection (2) for charges or fees that are 22 payable under this section. The advisory committee shall be 23 appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the director. 24 (4) If a carrier determines that a health facility or health 25 care provider has made any excessive charges or required unjusti- 26 fied treatment, hospitalization, or visits, the health facility 27 or health care provider shall not receive payment under this 04172'01 ** 4 1 chapter from the carrier for the excessive fees or unjustified 2 treatment, hospitalization, or visits, and is liable to return to 3 the carrier the fees or charges already collected. The bureau 4 may review the records and medical bills of a health facility or 5 health care provider determined by a carrier to not be in compli- 6 ance with the schedule of charges or to be requiring unjustified 7 treatment, hospitalization, or office visits. 8 (5) As used in this section, "utilization review" means the 9 initial evaluation by a carrier of the appropriateness in terms 10 of both the level and the quality of health care and health serv- 11 ices provided an injured employee, based on medically accepted 12 standards. A utilization review shall be accomplished by a car- 13 rier pursuant to a system established by the bureau that identi- 14 fies the utilization of health care and health services above the 15 usual range of utilization for the health care and health serv- 16 ices based on medically accepted standards and provides for 17 acquiring necessary records, medical bills, and other information 18 concerning the health care or health services. 19 (6) By accepting payment under this chapter, a health facil- 20 ity or health care provider shall be considered to have consented 21 to submitting necessary records and other information concerning 22 health care or health services provided for utilization review 23 pursuant to this section. The health facilities and health care 24 providers shall be considered to have agreed to comply with any 25 decision of the bureau pursuant to subsection (7). A health 26 facility or health care provider that submits false or misleading 27 records or other information to a carrier or the bureau is guilty 04172'01 ** 5 1 of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than 2 $1,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than 1 year, or both. 3 (7) If it is determined by a carrier that a health facility 4 or health care provider improperly overutilized or otherwise 5 rendered or ordered inappropriate health care or health services, 6 or that the cost of the health care or health services was inap- 7 propriate, the health facility or health care provider may appeal 8 to the bureau regarding that determination pursuant to procedures 9 provided for under the system of utilization review. 10 (8) The criteria or standards established for the utiliza- 11 tion review shall be established by rules promulgated by the 12 bureau. A carrier that complies with the criteria or standards 13 as determined by the bureau shall be certified by the 14 department. 15 (9) If a health facility or health care provider provides 16 health care or a health service that is not usually associated 17 with, is longer in duration in time than, is more frequent than, 18 or extends over a greater number of days than that health care or 19 service usually does with the diagnosis or condition for which 20 the patient is being treated, the health facility or health care 21 provider may be required by the carrier to explain the necessity 22 or indication for the reasons why in writing. 23 Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take 24 effect unless all of the following bills of the 91st Legislature 25 are enacted into law: 26 (a) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 5548 (request 27 no. 04169'01 **). 04172'01 ** 6 1 (b) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 5550 (request 2 no. 04170'01 **). 3 (c) Senate Bill No. _____ or House Bill No. 5551 (request 4 no. 04171'01 **). 04172'01 ** Final page. DKH