Sec. 4. (a) After an injury and prior to an adjudication of permanent impairment, the employer shall furnish or cause to be furnished, free of charge to the employee, an attending physician for the treatment of the employee's injuries, and in addition thereto such services and products as the attending physician or the worker's compensation board may deem necessary. If the employee is requested or required by the employer to submit to treatment outside the county of employment, the employer shall also pay the reasonable expense of travel, food, and lodging necessary during the travel, but not to exceed the amount paid at the time of the travel by the state to its employees under the state travel policies and procedures established by the department of administration and approved by the state budget agency. If the treatment or travel to or from the place of treatment causes a loss of working time to the employee, the employer shall reimburse the employee for the loss of wages using the basis of the employee's average daily wage.

(b) During the period of temporary total disability resulting from the injury, the employer shall furnish the physician, services and products, and the worker's compensation board may, on proper application of either party, require that treatment by the physician and services and products be furnished by or on behalf of the employer as the worker's compensation board may deem reasonably necessary.

(c) After an employee's injury has been adjudicated by agreement or award on the basis of permanent partial impairment and within the statutory period for review in such case as provided in section 27 of this chapter, the employer may continue to furnish a physician or surgeon and other medical services and products, and the worker's compensation board may within the statutory period for review as provided in section 27 of this chapter, on a proper application of either party, require that treatment by that physician and other services and products be furnished by and on behalf of the employer as the worker's compensation board may deem necessary to limit or reduce the amount and extent of the employee's impairment. The refusal of the employee to accept such services and products, when provided by or on behalf of the employer, shall bar the employee from all compensation otherwise payable during the period of the refusal, and the employee's right to prosecute any proceeding under IC 22-3-2 through IC 22-3-6 shall be suspended and abated until the employee's refusal ceases. The employee must be served with a notice setting forth the consequences of the refusal under this section. The notice must be in a form prescribed by the worker's compensation board. No compensation for permanent total impairment, permanent partial impairment, permanent disfigurement, or death shall be paid or payable for that part or portion of the impairment, disfigurement, or death which is the result of the failure of the employee to accept the services and products required under this section. However, an employer may at any time permit an employee to have treatment for the employee's injuries by spiritual means or prayer in lieu of the physician or surgeon and other services and products required under this section.

(d) If, because of an emergency, or because of the employer's failure to provide an attending physician or services and products, or treatment by spiritual means or prayer, as required by this section, or because of any other good reason, a physician other than that provided by the employer treats the injured employee during the period of the employee's temporary total disability, or necessary and proper services and products are procured within the period, the reasonable cost of those services and products shall, subject to the approval of the worker's compensation board, be paid by the employer.

(e) An employer or employer's insurance carrier may not delay the provision of emergency medical care whenever emergency medical care is considered necessary in the professional judgment of the attending health care facility physician.

(f) Regardless of when it occurs, where a compensable injury results in the amputation of a body part, the enucleation of an eye, or the loss of natural teeth, the employer shall furnish an appropriate artificial member, braces, and prosthodontics. The cost of repairs to or replacements for the artificial members, braces, or prosthodontics that result from a compensable injury pursuant to a prior award and are required due to either medical necessity or normal wear and tear, determined according to the employee's individual use, but not abuse, of the artificial member, braces, or prosthodontics, shall be paid from the second injury fund upon order or award of the worker's compensation board. The employee is not required to meet any other requirement for admission to the second injury fund.

(g) If an accident arising out of and in the course of employment after June 30, 1997, results in the loss of or damage to an artificial member, a brace, an implant, eyeglasses, prosthodontics, or other medically prescribed device, the employer shall repair the artificial member, brace, implant, eyeglasses, prosthodontics, or other medically prescribed device or furnish an identical or a reasonably equivalent replacement.

(h) This section may not be construed to prohibit an agreement between an employer and the employer's employees that has the approval of the board and that binds the parties to:

(1) medical care furnished by medical service providers selected by agreement before or after injury; or

(2) the findings of a medical service provider who was chosen by agreement.

Formerly: Acts 1929, c.172, s.25; Acts 1937, c.214, s.1; Acts 1943, c.136, s.5; Acts 1945, c.188, s.3; Acts 1947, c.162, s.3; Acts 1963, c.387, s.5; Acts 1974, P.L.108, SEC.7. As amended by Acts 1979, P.L.227, SEC.1; P.L.95-1988, SEC.3; P.L.170-1991, SEC.3; P.L.258-1997(ss), SEC.3; P.L.31-2000, SEC.2; P.L.67-2010, SEC.1; P.L.275-2013, SEC.2.