HOUSE BILL No. 5238

 

September 28, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Mortimer, Gaffney, Hune, Byrnes, Wojno and Vander Veen and referred to the Committee on Employment Relations, Training, and Safety.

 

     A bill to amend 1969 PA 317, entitled

 

"Worker's disability compensation act of 1969,"

 

by amending sections 385 and 865 (MCL 418.385 and 418.865), section

 

385 as amended by 1985 PA 103.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 385. After the employee has given notice of injury and

 

from time to time thereafter during the continuance of his or her

 

disability, if so requested by the employer or the carrier,  he or

 

she  the employee shall submit himself or herself to an examination

 

by a physician  or surgeon authorized to practice medicine under

 

the laws of the  or a certified nurse practitioner, licensed or

 

certified to practice in this state, furnished and paid for by the

 


employer or the carrier. If an examination relative to the injury

 

is made, the employee or his or her attorney shall be furnished,

 

within 15 days of a request, a complete and correct copy of the

 

report of every  such  physical examination relative to the injury

 

performed by the physician or certified nurse practitioner making

 

the examination on behalf of the employer or the carrier. The

 

employee shall have the right to have a physician or certified

 

nurse practitioner provided and paid for by himself or herself

 

present at the examination. If  he or she  the employee refuses to

 

submit himself or herself for the examination, or in any way

 

obstructs the same, his or her right to compensation shall be

 

suspended and his or her compensation during the period of

 

suspension may be forfeited. Any physician or certified nurse

 

practitioner who makes or is present at  any such  the examination

 

may be required to testify under oath as to the results  thereof  

 

of the examination. If the employee has had other physical

 

examinations relative to the injury but not at the request of the

 

employer or the carrier,  he or she  the employee shall furnish to

 

the employer or the carrier a complete and correct copy of the

 

report of each  such  physical examination, if  so  requested,

 

within 15 days of the request. If a party fails to provide a

 

medical report regarding an examination or medical treatment, that

 

party shall be precluded from taking the medical testimony of that

 

physician or certified nurse practitioner only. The opposing party

 

may, however, elect to take the deposition of that physician or

 

certified nurse practitioner.

 

     Sec. 865. The  bureau  workers' compensation agency may

 


appoint  a duly qualified  an impartial physician or certified

 

nurse practitioner to examine the injured employee and to report

 

the results of that examination. The fee for this service  shall be  

 

is $5.00 and traveling expenses, but the bureau  workers'

 

compensation agency may allow additional reasonable amounts in

 

extraordinary cases.