§ 8-46-208 — Applications - awards

(1) Payments from the major medical
insurance fund shall be awarded by the director only after an application therefor
has been filed by a claimant employee, the claimant's employer, or such employer's
insurance carrier, or one on their behalf, for admission to the fund, in any case
where the limits of liability provided under section 8-42-101 have been exhausted.

(2) Following the filing of an application, the director shall approve or
disapprove the expenditure of further sums of money from the major medical
insurance fund and in so doing may rely upon medical reports contained in the case
file if the director deems them adequate, or the director may rely upon
recommendations of the medical director, appointed pursuant to section 8-1-103, or
the director may appoint a medical panel of not more than three medical experts to
see and examine the applicant, each of whom shall render a report to the director,
advising whether or not such expenditure of further sums of money will promote
recovery, alleviate pain, or reduce disability, suggesting the form and manner of
such treatment or services and suggesting the reasonable cost thereof. The
director, in every case in which an award is made from this fund, shall review said
case at such time as the total medical expenditures, including those expended
under section 8-42-101, shall reach fifteen thousand dollars and at each ten
thousand dollars increment thereafter to determine and enter an order regarding
continuation or cessation of further payments from said fund.

(3) The director shall award, and the state treasurer shall pay from the major
medical insurance fund, the reasonable fees and expenses of the appointed
members of the medical panel when such procedure is used by the director.

Legislative History

Source: L. 90: Entire article R&RE, p. 548, � 1, effective July 1.