SENATE BILL No. 1643

 

 

November 13, 2008, Introduced by Senator KUIPERS and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Tourism.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1969 PA 317, entitled

 

"Worker's disability compensation act of 1969,"

 

by amending sections 360, 385, and 865 (MCL 418.360, 418.385, and

 

418.865), section 385 as amended by 1985 PA 103.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 360. (1) A person who suffers an injury arising out of

 

and in the course of employment as a professional athlete or

 

semiprofessional athlete shall be entitled to weekly benefits only

 

when the person's average weekly wages in all employments at the

 

time of application for benefits, and thereafter, as computed in

 

accordance with section 371, are less than 200% of the state

 

average weekly wage.

 

     (2) This section shall not be construed to prohibit an

 

otherwise eligible person from receiving benefits under section

 


315, 319, or 361.

 

     Sec. 385. After the employee has given notice of injury and

 

from time to time thereafter during the continuance of his or her

 

disability, if so requested by the employer or the carrier, he or

 

she the employee shall submit himself or herself to an examination

 

by a physician or surgeon authorized to practice medicine under the

 

laws of the a certified nurse practitioner, licensed, registered,

 

certified, or otherwise authorized to practice in this state,

 

furnished and paid for by the employer or the carrier. If an

 

examination relative to the injury is made, the employee or his or

 

her attorney shall be furnished, within 15 days of a request, a

 

complete and correct copy of the report of every such physical

 

examination relative to the injury performed by the physician or

 

certified nurse practitioner making the examination on behalf of

 

the employer or the carrier. The employee shall have the right to

 

have a physician or certified nurse practitioner provided and paid

 

for by himself or herself present at the examination. If he or she

 

the employee refuses to submit himself or herself for the

 

examination, or in any way obstructs the same, his or her right to

 

compensation shall be suspended and his or her compensation during

 

the period of suspension may be forfeited. Any physician or

 

certified nurse practitioner who makes or is present at any such

 

the examination may be required to testify under oath as to the

 

results thereof of the examination. If the employee has had other

 

physical examinations relative to the injury but not at the request

 

of the employer or the carrier, he or she the employee shall

 

furnish to the employer or the carrier a complete and correct copy

 


of the report of each such physical examination, if so requested,

 

within 15 days of the request. If a party fails to provide a

 

medical report regarding an examination or medical treatment, that

 

party shall be precluded from taking the medical testimony of that

 

physician or certified nurse practitioner only. The opposing party

 

may, however, elect to take the deposition of that physician or

 

certified nurse practitioner.

 

     Sec. 865. The bureau workers' compensation agency may appoint

 

a duly qualified an impartial physician or certified nurse

 

practitioner to examine the injured employee and to report the

 

results of that examination. The fee for this service shall be is

 

$5.00 and traveling expenses, but the bureau workers' compensation

 

agency may allow additional reasonable amounts in extraordinary

 

cases.