Source: https://www.tuckerlawmaine.com/new-wcb-rule-changes/
Timestamp: 2019-04-25 10:01:08+00:00

Document:
The Workers’ Compensation Board recently adopted a number of rule changes that went into effect on September 1, 2018. The full text of the rules with strikeouts of deleted language and underlines for the new language can be found here.
For a summary on these rule changes see below.
returns to work in any capacity (partial or full time).
Ch. 1, §5(2)(B): Fringe benefits must be determined on the date of injury and the employer/insurer shall file a WCB-2B within 30 days of notice of the injury.
Ch. 2, §3: There is no longer a requirement to include a permanent impairment evaluation for purposes of lump sum settlement.
decree will include the required notice.
Ch. 3, §1-A: Employers must now complete a first report of injury for all injuries, including medical only, within 7 days after the employer receives notice or has knowledge of an injury that has required the services of a health care provider but has not caused the employee to lose a day’s work. A copy of the First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness (WCB-1) shall be sent to the employee and, unless the employer is self-insured, the employer’s insurer within 24 hours after the First Report of Occupational Injury or Illness (WCB-1) has been completed.
Ch. 4, §2(6): §312 Independent medical examiners are no longer precluded from being the employee’s treating provider. The §312 is still required to disclose any potential conflicts.
time, then lost time benefits may be coordinated by that percentage of the PTO payment.
Ch. 12 §1(2): Now allows 21 days to respond to another party’s motion or submission.
Ch. 12 §2: Petitions for payment of medical and related services must include itemized bills, liens, co-pays, and out of pocket expenses. Also, payment of medical bills must be made within 10 days after a decree is issued or the date the information required under Chapter 5 is received, whichever is later.
Ch. 12 §5: Continuance requests must be filed no later than 7 days before the hearing or conference.
notice from the Board that pending petitions will be dismissed.
Ch. 12 §9(3): Legal issues not raised in the Joint Scheduling Memo may be deemed waived by the Administrative Law Judge.
includes generation of significant medical evidence since the filing of the JSM, but does not include failure to have exchanged relevant medical information.
Ch. 12 §11(4): Regardless of whether the employer intends to offer the surveillance, the employer shall provide all surveillance information to the employee within 14 days after the employer receives the exchange of information, but no later than 7 days prior to hearing. This includes all surveillance since the date of injury or since the last decree, whichever period is shorter. Any surveillance received after that point must be exchanged within 14 days of receipt, but no later than 7 days prior to hearing.
Ch. 13, §1-A: A party filing an appeal at a regional office is responsible for the cost of transferring the submission to the division.
Ch. 13, §3(2): Notice of Intent to Appeal may be filed by e-mail, provided the original is sent on or before the due date.
Ch. 13, §6(1)(E): All documents referenced in the briefs should be included in the appendix, unless there is good reason.
Ch. 13, §7(2): The Appendix to an appeal must contain a table of contents.
Ch. 13, §9(1): Requests for Appellate Division oral arguments must be made separately from any other board filing.
Ch. 13, §9(4): If there are multiple employers/insurers in a case before the Appellate Division, the parties must allocate the 20 minutes to present oral between themselves unless a party files a motion showing good cause for additional time.
Ch. 15 §6(1): The $5,000 guideline limit to forfeitures has been removed.

References: §5
 §3
 §1
 §2
 §312
 §312
 §1
 §2
 §5
 §9
 §11
 §1
 §3
 §6
 §7
 §9
 §9
 §6