Indiana lawmakers have proposed a bill Monday that would allow workers to choose their own physicians to treat their workplace injury or occupational disease.
H.B. 1339 would allow workers to choose their own attending physician and require employers or their insurers to reimburse the chosen health care provider for the treatment of the compensable injury or illness.
The bill states that the choice of provider would pertain to employees injured prior to July 1, 2021 — the date of enactment if signed into law.
Indiana senators also introduced on Monday legislation that would exempt members of certain religious sects who oppose the acceptance of public or private insurance benefits from state workers compensation.
S.B. 347, introduced Monday, would allow employees who conscientiously oppose receiving benefits as a result of injury, disability or death to obtain a certificate of exemption from the state’s workers compensation board. If such an application is accepted, the board is required to issue a certificate of exception within 45 days of its receipt of the application.
If the employee no longer meets the requirements for an exemption, the employee and his or her employer is required to notify the board in writing within 30 days, and provide workers comp for that worker on the day notice was given.
If signed into law, the legislation would take effect July 1, 2021.
This article was first published in Business Insurance.
