§ 28-33-34.1. Schedule of medical review. (a) On or about twenty-six (26) weeks from the date of a compensable injury, any person obtaining incapacity benefits may be examined and their diagnosis and treatment reviewed by a comprehensive independent health care review team or an impartial medical examiner. The comprehensive independent health care review team or impartial medical examiner shall be selected through a mechanism to be established by the administrator of the medical advisory board. The results of the examination and review shall be provided to the employee and the insurer or self-insured employer within fourteen (14) days of the examination and a copy shall be filed with the medical advisory board. The comprehensive independent health care review team and/or impartial medical examiner shall review the treating physician's findings and diagnosis and make its own findings of the extent and nature of the claimed disability, the degree of functional impairment and/or disability, the expectation of further medical improvement, any further medical care, treatment, and/or rehabilitation services that may be required to reach maximum medical improvement, type(s) of work that can be performed within existing physical capacity, the degree of disability expected at maximum medical improvement, whether the employee can return to the former position of employment, and compliance of the treating physician with protocols and standards of medical care established by the medical advisory board. The report may be subsequently admissible as a court exhibit. A party may be permitted to cross-examine the author(s) of the report with leave of the court.

(b) On or about thirteen (13) weeks after any examination under this section or § 28-33-35, a comprehensive independent health care review team or impartial medical examiner shall perform a similar review. The same comprehensive independent health care review team or impartial medical examiner may not perform more than two (2) consecutive reviews on a particular employee.

(c) Failure to appear for examination under this section shall be grounds for suspension or termination of benefits unless justified by good cause. Residence outside the state does not, by itself, constitute good cause for failure to appear.

History of Section. (P.L. 1992, ch. 31, § 8; P.L. 2010, ch. 95, § 2; P.L. 2010, ch. 121, § 2; P.L. 2014, ch. 78, § 5; P.L. 2014, ch. 87, § 5.)