On January 11, 2016, Governor Chris Christie signed A-4438/S3202 into law which raises the maximum fee paid to an evaluating physician to $600.
This fee is referable to the physician's opinion on the need for medical treatment or estimate of permanent disability.
This fee is applicable to the evaluating doctors obtained by petitioners in the prosecution of their claims for workers' compensation benefits. The previous allowable fee was $400. Traditionally, at the time of resolution of a claim, if the injured worker obtains a permanent disability award, the cost of such evaluations is generally split equally between the petitioner and the respondent, wherein 50 percent of this cost is paid out of the petitioner's award proceeds, and 50 percent is paid directly by the respondent insurance carrier. Accordingly, respondent carriers can expect their contribution toward the cost of such evaluations to increase from $200 to $300 per exam at the time of claim resolution.
If you have further questions, contact the Mark S. Setaro at msetaro@wglaw.com or 856.779.6010.