SF 456: Relating to the choice of doctor to treat injured employees under workers’ compensation laws and including effective date and applicability 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 the employee’s right to do so, in a manner prescribed by the workers’ compensation commissioner.

Senate subcommittee · named February 27, 2025

• Sen. Dawn Driscoll (R) · dawn.driscoll@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Jason Schultz (R) · jason.schultz@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Thomas Townsend (D) · thomas.townsend@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 5 for, 0 against

For: AFSCME Council 61; Ames Regional Economic Alliance; Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce; IBEW Iowa State Conference; Iowa Chamber Alliance

In plain words

1. February 26, 2025Filed in the Senate and sent to the Workforce committee
2. February 27, 2025Senate subcommittee named: Driscoll, Schultz and Townsend