Opinion ID: 1598483
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Reimbursement Order.

Text: The commissioner ordered the Fund to reimburse the carrier for its overpayment of benefits to Bergeson and provided that the Fund be given a credit for the reimbursement amount against the amount the Fund owes Bergeson. The Fund urges the commissioner has no statutory authority to order reimbursement of an employer or its carrier. It claims the industrial commissioner's authority is limited to determining the amount the injured employee shall be paid weekly, the number of weeks of compensation which shall be paid by the employer, and the date upon which payments out of the Fund shall begin as provided by Iowa Code section 85.67. The commissioner relied upon Iowa Code section 85.21 as its authority to order reimbursement. This section provides in part: When liability is finally determined by the industrial commissioner, the commissioner shall order the carriers or employers liable to the employee ... to reimburse the carriers or employers which are not liable but were required to pay benefits. Here, both the employer and the Fund were ordered to compensate Bergeson for his second injury. The proportion between the obligation of the employer and the Fund could not be determined until a hearing was held and a decision rendered. Voluntary payments made by the employer's carrier during the pendency of the proceedings were in excess of the employer's ultimate liability. We conclude the commissioner has authority to order the Fund, as a party in an arbitration proceeding, to reimburse another party when the commissioner makes a finding that the employer or its insurer paid the employee benefits that are determined to be the responsibility of the Fund. The statutory authority given to the commissioner under section 85.67 must be construed with section 85.21 and the other provisions of chapter 85. By recognizing the commissioner's authority to order reimbursement we further the beneficial purpose of encouraging the voluntary payment of benefits to the employee while the case is pending. Such an interpretation also supports the intent to reimburse employers and insurers and to avoid double recovery expressed in section 85.22. We give deference to an interpretation by the industrial commissioner when construing workers' compensation statutes. Beier Glass Co., 329 N.W.2d at 283. Although we recognize the Fund was established to provide additional benefits to the employee who suffers a second injury, the order of reimbursement entered by the commissioner did not reduce the benefit to the employee. We agree with the commissioner that under the facts of this case, the Fund was one of multiple parties potentially responsible to Bergeson for compensation of his disability. Section 85.21 gives the commissioner authority to order reimbursement where one party makes voluntary payment that ultimately the commissioner determines should have been paid by another party. AFFIRMED.