Workers' comp chair exits hospital fee talks
Maine Workers' Compensation Board Chairman Paul Dionne is backing out of a process to determine how much hospitals can charge employers for medical bills, following a complaint of a conflict of interest.
In March, Bath Iron Works filed a motion in Kennebec County Superior Court asking a judge to remove Dionne and the Workers' Compensation Board from the process to establish a list of reimbursement fees for workers' compensation and instead appoint an independent person to take over the process. The shipyard argued Dionne's role as board chairman of Central Maine Healthcare Corp. represented a conflict of interest, and that the board was taking too long to set a list of fees. A judge denied the request earlier this month, though Dionne had already recused himself from the discussions, telling the Sun Journal the publicity around the issue gave the appearance of a conflict.
It's the latest in a long-standing battle between BIW and the state board, sparked when BIW was ordered to pay double the federal cap for two workplace injuries, which prompted the shipyard to sue in 2006, saying the board was obligated to set fees for reimbursements. In 2008, a judge ordered the board to create that list, but so far a final version has not been released.
In its decision not to remove Dionne and the state board from the discussions, the court said that step was not yet necessary, but allowed BIW to bring the issue back to the court at a later date, according to the paper.
Go to the article from the Sun Journal >>
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