Source: https://code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/titles/32/chapters/15/
Timestamp: 2019-09-17 23:23:19
Document Index: 502875745

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u200236', '§\u20024', '§\u200236', '§\u200232', '§\u200232', '§\u200236', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§ 32', '§\u20023', '§\u20023', '§\u20021102', '§\u20021112', '§\u20021102', '§\u20021112', '§ 32', '§\u200236', '§ 43', '§ 1102', '§\u20021102', '§\u20021102', '§ 43', '§ 1102', '§\u20021102', '§\u20021102', '§\u200236', '§ 1', '§\u200236']

D.C. Law Library - Chapter 15. Workers’ Compensation.
§ 32–1517. Assignment of compensation; exemption from claims of creditors.
§ 32–1518. Compensation as lien against assets.
§ 32–1527. Witness fees.
§ 32–1528. Costs in proceedings brought without reasonable grounds; penalty for unreasonable delay in payment of compensation.
§ 32–1537. Discharge of liability.
§ 32–1538. Insurance policies.
§ 32–1539. Failure to secure payment of compensation.
§ 32–1545. Effective date.
(a-1)(1) Any employer who provides health insurance coverage for an employee shall provide health insurance coverage equivalent to the existing health insurance coverage of the employee while the employee receives or is eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits under this chapter.
(2) For purposes of this subsection, the phrase “eligible to receive” means:
(A) An employee is away from work due to a job-related injury for which the employee has filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits under this chapter; or
(B) An employer has knowledge of a job-related injury of an employee who is away from work due to the job-related injury pursuant to which workers’ compensation benefits may become due under § 32-1515.
(3) The provision of health insurance coverage shall not exceed 52 weeks and shall be at the same benefit level that the employee had at the time the employee received or was eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
(4) Except as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, an employer shall pay the total cost for the provision of health insurance coverage during the time that the employee receives or is eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits under this chapter, including any contribution that the employee would have made if the employee had not received or been eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
(5) Each provider of medical care or services pursuant to this chapter shall use a standard coding system for reports and bills generated pursuant to this chapter. Medical care and services shall be billed at the rate established in the medical fee schedule adopted by the Mayor. This fee schedule shall be based on 113% of Medicare’s reimbursement amounts.
(3) The employee shall have the right to choose an attending physician to provide medical care under this chapter. If, due to the nature of the injury, the employee is unable to select a physician and the nature or the injury requires immediate treatment and care, the employer shall select a physician for him. Where medically necessary or advisable, or at the request of the employee, the attending physician shall consult with the employee’s personal physician.
1981 Ed., § 36-307.
This section is referenced in § 32-1505, § 32-1519, § 32-1530, § 32-1535, and § 32-1540.
D.C. Law 16-305, in subsec. (c) substituted “employees with disabilities” for “disabled employees”.
(2) If there be a surviving spouse or domestic partner and no child of the deceased, to such surviving spouse or domestic partner 50% of the average wages of the deceased, for as long as the surviving spouse or domestic partner does not remarry or enter into a domestic partnership, with 2 years’ compensation in 1 sum upon remarriage or entry into a domestic partnership; and if there be a surviving child or children of the deceased, the additional amount of 16 2/3% of such wages for each such child; in case of the death, remarriage, or entry into a domestic partnership of such surviving spouse or domestic partner, if there be 1 surviving child of the deceased employee, such child shall have his compensation increased to 50% of such wages, and if there be more than 1 surviving child of the deceased employee to such children, in equal parts, 50% of such wages increased by 16 2/3% of such wages for each child in excess of 1; provided, that the total amount payable shall in no case exceed 66 2/3% of such wages. The Mayor may, in his discretion, require the appointment of a guardian for the purpose of receiving the compensation of a minor child. In the absence of such a requirement, the appointment of a guardian for such purposes shall not be necessary.
1981 Ed., § 36-309.
D.C. Law 17-231 substituted “surviving spouse or domestic partner” for “widow or widower” throughout the section; and rewrote par. (2), which had read as follows: “(2) If there be a widow or widower and no child of the deceased, to such widow or widower 50% of the average wages of the deceased, during widowhood, or widowerhood, with 2 years’ compensation in 1 sum upon remarriage; and if there be a surviving child or children of the deceased, the additional amount of 16 2/3% of such wages for each such child; in case of the death or remarriage of such widow or widower, if there be 1 surviving child of the deceased employee, such child shall have his compensation increased to 50% of such wages, and if there be more than 1 surviving child of the deceased employee to such children, in equal parts, 50% of such wages increased by 16 2/3% of such wages for each child in excess of 1; provided, that the total amount payable shall in no case exceed 66 2/3% of such wages. The Mayor may, in his discretion, require the appointment of a guardian for the purpose of receiving the compensation of a minor child. In the absence of such a requirement, the appointment of a guardian for such purposes shall not be necessary.”
1981 Ed., § 36-310.
1981 Ed., § 36-312.
1981 Ed., § 36-313.
This section is referenced in § 32-1538.
1981 Ed., § 36-316.
1981 Ed., § 36-317.
1981 Ed., § 36-318.
This section is referenced in § 32-1519.
(b) In cases where judgment cannot be satisfied by reason of the employer’s insolvency or other circumstances precluding payment, the Mayor may, in his discretion, and to the extent he shall determine advisable after consideration or current commitments payable from the special fund established in § 32-1540, make payment from such fund upon any award made under this chapter, and, in addition, provide any necessary medical, surgical, and other treatment required by § 32-1507 in any case of disability where there has been a default in furnishing medical treatment by reason of the insolvency of the employer. Such an employer shall be liable for payment into such fund of the amounts paid therefrom by the Mayor under this subsection; and for the purposes of enforcing this liability, the Mayor for the benefit of the fund shall be subrogated to all the rights of the person receiving such payment or benefits, including the right of lien and priority provided for by § 32-1518 as against the employer and may by a proceeding in the name of the Mayor under § 32-1520 or under § 32-1522(c), or both, seek to recover the amount of the default or so much thereof as in the judgment of the Mayor is possible, or the Mayor may settle and compromise any such claim.
1981 Ed., § 36-319.
This section is referenced in § 32-1540.
1981 Ed., § 36-321.
1981 Ed., § 36-323.
(a) At any time prior to 1 year after the date of the last payment of compensation or at any time prior to 1 year after the rejection of a claim, provided, however, that in the case of a claim filed pursuant to § 32-1508(a)(3)(V) the time period shall be at any time prior to 3 years after the date of the last payment of compensation or at any time prior to 3 years after the rejection of a claim, the Mayor may, upon his own initiative or upon application of a party in interest, order a review of a compensation case pursuant to the procedures provided in § 32-1520 where there is reason to believe that a change of conditions has occurred which raises issues concerning:
(c) Upon the completion of a review conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Mayor shall issue a new compensation order which may terminate, continue, reinstate, increase, or decrease such compensation previously paid, or award compensation. An award increasing or decreasing the compensation rate may be made and shall be effective from the date of the Mayor’s order for a review of the compensation case. If, since the date of the Mayor’s order for a review of the compensation case, the employer has made any payments of compensation at a rate greater than the rate provided in the new compensation order, the employer shall be entitled to be reimbursed for the difference in accordance with rules promulgated by the Mayor. If, since the date of the Mayor’s order for review of the compensation case, the employer has made any payments of compensation at a rate less than the rate provided in the new compensation order, the employee shall be entitled to the difference as additional compensation in accordance with rules promulgated by the Mayor.
1981 Ed., § 36-324.
No person shall be required to attend as a witness in any proceeding before the Mayor at more than 25 miles of the place of the hearing, unless his lawful mileage and fee for 1 day’s attendance shall be first paid or tendered to him; but the testimony of any witness including that of an interested party may be taken by deposition or interrogatories according to the rules of practice of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
1981 Ed., § 36-326.
1981 Ed., § 36-327.
(b) If the Mayor or court determines that an employer or carrier has delayed the payment of any installment of compensation to an employee in bad faith, the employer shall pay to the injured employee, for the duration of the delay, the actual weekly wage of the employee for the period that the employee is eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits under this chapter. The penalty shall be in addition to any amount paid pursuant to § 32-1515.
1981 Ed., § 36-328.
1981 Ed., § 36-329.
1981 Ed., § 36-331.
1981 Ed., § 36-333.
(a) Every employer shall secure the payment of compensation under this chapter: (1) by insuring and keeping insured the payment of such compensation with any stock company or mutual company or association, or with any person or fund, while such person or fund is authorized: (A) under the laws of the United States, the District of Columbia, or of any state, to insure workers’ compensation; and (B) by the Mayor to insure payment of compensation under this chapter; or (2) by furnishing satisfactory proof to the Mayor of his financial ability to pay such compensation and receiving an authorization from the Mayor to pay such compensation directly. The Mayor may, as a condition to such authorization, require such employer to deposit with the District of Columbia Treasurer either an indemnity bond or securities (at the option of the employer) of a kind and in an amount determined by the Mayor, and subject to such conditions as the Mayor may prescribe, which shall include authorization to the Mayor, in case of default, to sell any such securities sufficient to pay compensation awards or to bring suit upon such bonds, to procure prompt payment of compensation under this chapter. Any employer securing compensation in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall be known as a self-insurer.
1981 Ed., § 36-334.
This section is referenced in § 32-1501, § 32-1539, and § 32-1541.
1981 Ed., § 36-336.
1981 Ed., § 36-337.
(c)(1) Employers implementing a safe workplace program shall qualify for certification for a 5% premium discount under the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance policy.
(2) For each policy of workers’ compensation insurance issued or renewed in the District on and after April 16, 1999, there shall be granted, by the insurer, a 5% premium reduction pursuant to rules issued by the Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking, in the premium for the policy if the insured has been certified by the Department of Employment Services, as having a safe workplace program that complies with the requirements of this chapter and has notified its insurer in writing of the certification. Certification of an insured shall be required for each of the 4 years in which the premium discount is granted. Thereafter, any premium discount authorized pursuant to this chapter shall be determined from the experience rating plan of the insured, or in the case of an insured not rated upon experience.
(3) The workers’ compensation insurance policy of an insured shall be subject to an additional premium for the purposes of reimbursement of a previously granted premium discount and to cancellation in accordance with the policy if it is determined by the Department of Employment Services that the insured misrepresented the compliance of its safe workplace program.
1981 Ed., § 36-338.
D.C. Law 15-166, in par. (2) of subsec. (c), substituted “Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking” for “Department of Insurance and Securities Regulation”.
D.C. Law 15-354, in subsec. (c)(4), substituted “Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Financial Institutions” for “Commissioner of Insurance and Securities”.
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 4(jj)(1) of Consolidation of Financial Services Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-381, February 27, 2004, 51 DCR 2653).
1981 Ed., § 36-339.
(a) There is established in the Treasury of the District of Columbia a special fund for the purpose of making payments in accordance with the provisions of §§ 32-1507(c), 32-1507(e), 32-1508(6), and 32-1519(b). Such fund shall be administered by the Mayor.
(c) Neither the District of Columbia nor the Mayor shall be liable in respect of payments authorized under §§ 32-1507(c), 32-1507(e), 32-1508(6) and 32-1519(b) in any amount greater than the money or property deposited in or belonging to such fund.
(4) Any employer which becomes self-insured shall be assessed as if it were insured for 24 months after conversion. The new self-insured employer shall be assessed on the basis of premium. The premium basis shall be equal to its premium for the policy period immediately preceding conversion to be self-insured, multiplied by the percentage change in the self-insured’s payroll. The payroll measurement period shall be the fiscal year immediately preceding conversion and the subsequent 2 fiscal years.
(5) On or after September 1, 1999, and annually thereafter, the Mayor shall notify insurers of the premium surcharge rate to be effective for policies written or renewed on and after October 1, 1999, and annually thereafter. The Mayor shall notify self-insured employers, at the same time, of the amount to be assessed against self-insured employers for the following fiscal year. The assessment against self-insurers and the surcharge rate applicable to policies of insured employers, together with amounts generated by paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, shall be sufficient to generate revenue needed to satisfy obligations to the Special Fund. Should the Mayor subsequently determine that the assessments are insufficient to meet the Special Fund’s obligations during a fiscal year, the Mayor may assess self-insurers and insured employers to cover any anticipated deficiency, based upon the allocation method set forth in this subsection. Self-insured employers and insurers, on behalf of their policyholders, shall remit any emergency assessment within 30 calendar days of receipt of notice from the Mayor.
(6) Every workers’ compensation insurer shall collect, from each of its policyholders, an amount equal to the insured employers’ assessment through a surcharge based on premium. These assessments shall include any amounts paid by insurers on behalf of their policyholders to cover an emergency assessment by the Mayor during the previous fiscal year. Assessments when collected shall not constitute an element of loss for the purpose of establishing rates for workers’ compensation insurance but, for the purpose of collection, shall be treated as separate costs imposed upon insured employers. The total of the assessment imposed by this subsection shall be stated as a separate cost on an insured employer’s policy, or on a separate document submitted to the insured employer, and shall be identified as the “Workers’ Compensation Policyholder Surcharge.” Each assessment shall be shown as a percentage of the total workers’ compensation policyholder premium. The premium surcharge shall be excluded from the definition of premiums for all purposes, including computation of agents’ commissions or premium taxes.
(e) The special fund shall be audited annually by the Department of Employment Services. The Director of the Department of Employment Services shall file an audited financial report with the Council by March 1st detailing the financial status of the fund as of the end of the preceding fiscal year, including the fund’s operation, cash flow, and changes in capital and surplus, using standard accounting principles.
1981 Ed., § 36-340.
This section is referenced in § 32-1519, § 32-1535, § 32-1541, and § 32-1542.
D.C. Law 15-205 rewrote subsec. (e) to read as follows: “(e) The accounts of the special fund shall be audited in the same manner as similar accounts of the District of Columbia.”
For temporary amendment of section, see § 3 of the Financial Institutions Deposit and Investment Emergency Amendment Act of 1997 (D.C. Act 12-175, October 30, 1997, 44 DCR 6918).
For temporary amendment of section, see § 3 of the Financial Institutions Deposit and Investment Congressional Recess Emergency Amendment Act of 1998 (D.C. Act 12-281, February 25, 1998, 45 DCR 1707).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 1102(c) of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-486, August 2, 2004, 51 DCR 8236).
For temporary (90 day) worker’s compensation third-party administrator study provisions, see § 1112 of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-486, August 2, 2004, 51 DCR 8236).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 1102(c) of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-594, October 26, 2004, 51 DCR 11725).
For temporary (90 day) worker’s compensation third-party administrator study provisions, see § 1112 of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-594, October 26, 2004, 51 DCR 11725).
Short title of subtitle K of title I of Law 15-205: Section 1111 of D.C. Law 15-205 provided that subtitle K of title I of the act may be cited as the Workers’ Compensation Third-Party Administrator Study Amendment Act of 2004.
The “Financial Institutions Deposit and Investment Act of 1997,” referred to in (b), is D.C. Law 12-56.
Section 1112 of D.C. Law 15-205 provided: “By January 1, 2005, the Mayor shall provide the Council with an analysis of anticipated financial costs and savings if a third-party administrator would administer the special fund established by section 41 of the District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act of 1979, effective July 1, 1980 (D.C. Law 3-77; D.C. Official Code § 32-1540).”
1981 Ed., § 36-342.
The Director of the Department of Employment Services shall file an annual anti-fraud report with the Council by March 1st, which shall contain detailed and comprehensive information about the Department’s anti-fraud activities relating to Workers’ Compensation insurance during the preceding calendar year.
(July 1, 1980, D.C. Law 3-77, § 43c; as added Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 1102(e), 51 DCR 8441.)
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 1102(e) of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-486, August 2, 2004, 51 DCR 8236).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 1102(e) of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-594, October 26, 2004, 51 DCR 11725).
(a) The Director of Employment Services (“Director”) shall assign from the workforce in the Workers’ Compensation office a staff equal to 5 full time equivalents to the enforcement of employer compliance with Workers’ Compensation requirements, including enforcing existing law and referring cases to the Office of the Attorney General for prosecution.
(July 1, 1980, D.C. Law 3-77, § 43d; as added Dec. 7, 2004, D.C. Law 15-205, § 1102(e), 51 DCR 8441.)
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 1102(f) of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-486, August 2, 2004, 51 DCR 8236).
For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 1102(f) of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-594, October 26, 2004, 51 DCR 11725).
1981 Ed., § 36-344.
This chapter shall take effect on 60 days after the expiration of the District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act Emergency Amendment Act of 1982, after a 30-day period of Congressional review following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council of the District of Columbia to override the veto) as provided in § 1-206.02(c)(1).
1981 Ed., § 36-345.
The “District of Columbia Workers’ Compensation Act Emergency Amendment Act of 1982,” referred to near the beginning of this section, is D.C. Act 4-160. Act 4-160 expired on May 26, 1982. Consequently, this chapter took effect on July 24, 1982.