News and announcements from the Maryland Workers' Compensation Commission. http://www.wcc.state.md.us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Fri, 4 May 2012 10:45:26 -0400 Fri, 4 May 2012 10:45:03 -0400 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com The Workers’ Compensation Commission proposes to amend Regulation .05 under COMAR 14.09.06 Local Office Requirements for Insurers. This action was considered at a public meeting held on March 22, 2012, notice of which was given by publication in 39:4 Md. R. 358 (February 24, 2012) pursuant to State Government Article §10-506(c), Annotated Code of Maryland. The purpose of this action is to remove COMAR 14.09.06.05B, which requires an appellant’s attorney to send a copy of a petition for judicial review to the Attorney General representing the Commission if the issue being appealed is the award of attorney’s fees. This provision is being removed from this chapter so that it may be transferred and recodified into a more thematically appropriate chapter. Comments may be sent to Amy S. Lackington, Administrator, Workers’ Compensation Commission, 10 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, or call 410-864-5300, or email to alackington@wcc.state.md.us, or FAX to 410-864-5301. Comments will be accepted through June 4, 2012. A public hearing has not been scheduled. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Reg_Changes.html 873B5DDE-D71E-41E0-9175-B4577C22D17A Fri, 4 May 2012 10:44:10 -0400 The WCC proposes to amend Regulation .20 under COMAR 14.09.01 Procedural Regulations. This action was considered at an open meeting held on March 22, 2012, notice of which was given by publication in 39:4 Md. R. 358 (February 24, 2012) pursuant to State Government Article §10-506(c), Annotated Code of Maryland. The purpose of this action is to establish procedures for scheduling independent medical examinations, to delineate a covered employee’s obligation to cooperate in the examination and to establish consequences for failing or refusing to appear and cooperate in the examination. Comments may be sent to Amy S. Lackington, Administrator, Workers’ Compensation Commission, 10 E. Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, or call 410-864-5300, or email to alackington@wcc.state.md.us , or FAX to 410-864-5301. Comments will be accepted through June 4, 2012. A public hearing has not been scheduled. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Reg_Changes.html AE5C2746-A519-4C43-84DA-5878C0E62C56 Fri, 4 May 2012 10:42:45 -0400 Amendments to Regulation .19 under COMAR 14.09.01 Procedural Regulations, are effective April 16, 2012. Therefore, Agreements of Final Compromise and Settlements submitted to the Commission for approval shall include the date of disablement by accidental injury or occupational disease. This information is now required on the MDWCC form Settlement Worksheet H-07, item #23. The new form is available for download as a fillable PDF form on our Forms & Instructions page. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Forms.html#settlement 6989A211-6BD6-47CA-BC79-9F89D045E114 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:39:17 -0400 The Commission's 2012 Medical Fee Guide is revised and must be utilized for all billing/submissions effective March 1, 2012. The Medical Services and Treatment fee guide has been revised to include all CMS updates to its physician relative value files. These revisions are effective for treatment on/after March 1, 2012 and include new CPT codes and relative values. See our Medical Fee Guide & Information page. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/MFG/Medical_Fee_Schedule.html 65568206-D1E2-4448-936E-60DFE445F9D5 Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:02:05 -0400 On February 23, 2012, the Workers’ Compensation Commission adopted amendments to Regulation .06 and new Regulation .06-1 under COMAR 14.09.01 Procedural Regulations to implement the statutory changes made by the General Assembly in Ch. 436, Acts of 2011. These statutory changes, effective October 1, 2011, concern the death benefits paid to surviving dependents. The law also enables counties and municipal governments to opt into the new death benefits scheme. This action, which was proposed for adoption in 38:27 Md. R. 1781—1782 (December 30, 2011), has been adopted as proposed. Regulations are effective March 19, 2012.. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Reg_Changes.html 4AC1F3E1-87E6-4722-ABFF-CBCEC6C3CB86 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:59:35 -0400 Form revision; effective immediately - The Request for Emergency Hearing form (WCC H26R) is revised and must be utilized for all submissions; after March 31, 2012, obsolete H26R forms are no longer accepted. The change requires the filing party to include the claim consideration date in the indicated form field. The consideration date field is pre-filled on our Online Services WebForms. As always, no issues may be filed by the claimant or claimant attorney prior to the consideration date or the filing of contesting issues by the Employer/Insurer. The revised Request for Emergency Hearing PDF form is available on our Forms & Instructions page. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Forms.html 3D608AF9-6674-4FFB-A073-84B18CD10F56 Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:51:57 -0400 Delia Turano Schadt, a native of Cumberland, Maryland graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science in 1989. She earned her Juris Doctor from The University of Dayton School of Law in 1992. She then served as law clerk to The Honorable J. Frederick Sharer and The Honorable Gary G. Leasure in the Circuit Court for Allegany County. She began her legal career practicing workers’ compensation law and was employed by the Injured Workers’ Insurance Fund from 1993 until 2000. Following this, she was employed with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General where she served as Board Counsel to health occupation licensing boards until being appointed to the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission by Governor Martin O’Malley in 2011. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Notices_and_Announcements/Dec_2011_Notices.html 2B65C589-0AAB-444F-8BDF-9FF996337A06 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:02:54 -0500 The State of Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission is currently seeking an energetic, versatile, and highly skilled Senior Network Administrator in the position of Computer Network Specialist, Lead. The Senior Network Administrator’s role is to manage the day-to-day operations of WCC systems and converged networks. This includes planning, developing, installing, configuring, maintaining security, supporting, and optimizing all network hardware, software, and communication links for LAN, WAN, WLAN, VoIP, and VPN. The main purpose of this position is to monitor and maintain local and wide area network system continuity, telecommunication services, operating systems’ software, and application software; as well as to install, configure, update, monitor, and provide troubleshooting support for PCs, servers, switches, routers, firewalls, network appliances, access points, printers, scanners, and other associated computer equipment and cabling in support of the Agency’s users. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Gen_Info/Jobs_info.html F687BDE9-4D0B-49D8-9676-F84C461593E8 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:02:00 -0500 The Commission is proud to announce that Executive Director, Mary Ahearn, was elected President of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards & Commissions (‘IAIABC’) at its August 25, 2011 business meeting. The IAIABC is North America’s oldest workers’ compensation association. Ms. Ahearn will serve with 10 other executives from around the US and Canada to provide strategic leadership and financial oversight for the association. For more information about the IAIABC or the new Executive Committee, please visit their website at http://www.iaiabc.org/i4a/headlines/headlinedetails.cfm?id=252 http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Notices_and_Announcements/Sept_2011_Notices.html CDB60758-BAAB-4821-A51B-F95F6484734E Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:45:02 -0400 Issues form H24R is revised and now posted to WFMS Online Services and the WCC Forms page. Please begin using the new form immediately. We will not accept any prior versions of the form after September 30, 2011. This revision contains several updates, including layout & format, the selection of parties raising issues and newly required information when requesting authorization for medical treatment. The Issues form must include a brief description when a request for authorization of medical treatment is submitted. Note that this change also affects all WFMS Online Services forms that utilize Issues (H24R) as page 2. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Notices_and_Announcements/Sept_2011_Notices.html 53D5056C-081E-4A52-AC84-958E2AD8B5A7 Thu, 22 Sep 2011 16:38:52 -0400 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for Calendar Year 2012: Section 9-638 of the Labor and Employment Article provides for an annual cost of living adjustment (COLA) for compensation paid under Subtitle V to covered employees with a permanent total disability. The COLA provision became effective January 1, 1988 and is only payable for an accidental injury or occupational disease sustained on or after January 1, 1988. The cost of living adjustment effective on January 1, 2012 is 1.6%. See MD Compensation Rates for more information http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Comp_Rates.html 8492EBCD-3D75-4A2C-AC09-56053C24B692 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:10:38 -0400 Our printed form SF-2 - Surgeon's Report of Injury will no longer be mailed by the Commission. Medical Providers may access the online form or printable form on the our website. The online form may be completed and submitted electronically or the printable form can be completed and mailed to the Commission. Both versions of the Surgeon's Report form can be accessed from the Medical Forms page. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/MFG/MFG_Forms.html 66A5BC5E-93F9-4098-A4DE-827C2CE46A57 Fri, 15 Jul 2011 10:09:28 -0400 Effective July 1, 2011, the 2011 mileage reimbursement rate will increase from 51.0¢ to 55.5¢ for eligible travel incurred on or after July 1, 2011. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Comp_Rates.html 42D6795B-CC26-42D3-A9A7-B6BAA5870EB7 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:52:20 -0400 It has come to the attention of the Commission that some appeals of an award of attorney’s fees are not in compliance with COMAR 14.09.06.05B, “When the issue appealed is the award of attorney’s fees, the appellant’s attorney shall forward a copy of the petition for judicial review to the Attorney General assigned to represent the Commission." Please remember that this is a regulatory requirement and should be followed at all times. The petition copy should be sent to Michele J. McDonald, Esq., Principal Counsel, Workers' Compensation Commission, 10 East Baltimore St., Baltimore, MD 21202-1641. http://www.wcc.state.md.us D175171F-1525-422D-A218-B3C82B15E269 Wed, 1 Jun 2011 16:44:03 -0400 Effective July 1, 2011, awards subject to LE § 9-806 (Subsequent Injury Fund Assessment) and LE § 9-1007(B) (Uninsured Employer Fund Assessment), will be billed separately by the two funds.  Award Orders issued by the Workers’ Compensation Commission will contain new language to reflect this billing and collection procedure change.  Employers or Insurers must pay the assessments to the two funds within thirty (30) days of their respective invoices. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Notices_and_Announcements/Current_Notices.html 49D15273-EBF5-4113-A125-05E5A411D7BD Fri, 13 May 2011 14:05:21 -0400 The Commission's Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2010 is available on our Publications page. The report contains statistics, legislative & regulatory updates and accomplishments achieved during FY2010 http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Gen_Info/Publications.html#Annual_Reports CF2E2296-58E6-4CC0-88BA-076E837A95D0 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 14:31:45 -0500 Opportunity for Public Comment: Notice of Proposed Action - 14.09.03 Guide of Medical and Surgical Fees (see our Regulatory Changes page for details) A public hearing is scheduled for April 14, 2011 at 11:00 a.m., at 10 E. Baltimore Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Reg_Changes.html BD65B232-BD25-4EF5-90BC-941BFACE25D3 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 05:49:28 -0500 Calendar year 2011 Medical Fee Guide resources (values, MEI, etc) and Workers' Compensation Benefit Rates (Average Weekly Wage, Cost of Living, etc.) are posted on our web. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Notices_and_Announcements/Dec_10_Notices.html 14F2E007-544F-40F1-AC0D-BC2598E1B94C Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:41:01 -0500 Effective immediately, when an Employee Claim Form C-1 is hand-delivered to the Commission, Public Service staff will review the form and verify that it meets all requirements under COMAR 14.09.01.06 before accepting and dating the form. We only accept documents for filing at our Baltimore City Public Service Office located at 10 East Baltimore Street, 4th floor, Baltimore, MD, 21202 during normal business hours. The quality assurance process will require additional time and we appreciate the community's patience and cooperation. http://www.wcc.state.md.us/Adjud_Claims/Notices_and_Announcements/Nov_10_Notices.html 67E2638F-57D6-474F-BD64-B76A050C2380 Thu, 4 Nov 2010 11:13:31 -0400 We are saddened to announce the passing of Lourenna Ellen (Wren) Fisher on October 30, 2010. Ms. Fisher retired as our Secretary to the Commission in 1995. More information is available on the Zellman Funeral Home, P.A. http://www.zellmanfuneralhome.com/ 26528B17-AD44-47A8-B078-70C4B7C2F6B5 Thu, 4 Nov 2010 11:11:59 -0400