HF 123: Relating to the choice of doctor to treat an injured employee under workers’ compensation laws and including applicability date provisions

What it does

This bill relates to the choice of a physician to treat an injured employee under the state’s workers’ compensation laws. The bill allows the employer to choose care unless the employee has predesignated a physician as provided in the bill. The bill gives an employee the right to predesignate a physician who is a primary care provider, who has previously provided treatment to the employee and has retained the employee’s medical records, to provide treatment for a work-related injury. The employer is required to provide written notice to employees of this right upon hire, and periodically during employment, and upon receiving notice of an injury from an employee who has not yet predesignated a physician of their right to do so, in a manner prescribed by the workers’ compensation commissioner.

Lobbying · 3 for, 2 against

For: Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO; UAW Region 4; United Professionals/UE

Against: Iowa Association of Business and Industry (ABI); National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB /IA)

In plain words

1. January 21, 2021Filed in the House and sent to the Labor committee