2006 Minnesota Statutes

176.238 NOTICE OF DISCONTINUANCE OF COMPENSATION.
    Subdivision 1. Necessity for notice and showing; contents. Except as provided in section
176.221, subdivision 1, once the employer has commenced payment of benefits, the employer may
not discontinue payment of compensation until it provides the employee with notice in writing
of intention to do so. A copy of the notice shall be filed with the division by the employer. The
notice to the employee and the copy to the division shall state the date of intended discontinuance
and set forth a statement of facts clearly indicating the reason for the action. Copies of whatever
medical reports or other written reports in the employer's possession which are relied on for the
discontinuance shall be attached to the notice.
    Subd. 2. Continuance of employer's liability; suspension. (a) Discontinuance because
of return to work. If the reason for discontinuance is that the employee has returned to work,
temporary total compensation may be discontinued effective the day the employee returned to
work. Written notice shall be served on the employee and filed with the division within 14 days of
the date the insurer or self-insured employer has notice that the employee has returned to work.
(b) Discontinuance for reasons other than return to work. If the reason for the
discontinuance is for other than that the employee has returned to work, the liability of the
employer to make payments of compensation continues until the copy of the notice and reports
have been filed with the division. When the division has received a copy of the notice of
discontinuance, the statement of facts and available medical reports, the duty of the employer
to pay compensation is suspended, except as provided in the following subdivisions and in
section 176.239.
    Subd. 3. Interim administrative decision. An employee may request the commissioner
to schedule an administrative discontinuance conference to obtain an expedited interim
decision concerning the discontinuance of compensation. Procedures relating to discontinuance
conferences are set forth in section 176.239.
    Subd. 4. Objection to discontinuance. An employee may serve on the employer and file
with the commissioner an objection to discontinuance if:
(a) the employee elects not to request an administrative conference under section 176.239;
(b) if the employee fails to timely proceed under that section;
(c) if the discontinuance is not governed by that section; or
(d) if the employee disagrees with the commissioner's decision issued under that section.
Within ten calendar days after receipt of an objection to discontinuance, the commissioner shall
refer the matter to the office for a de novo hearing before a compensation judge to determine the
right of the employee to further compensation.
    Subd. 5. Petition to discontinue. Instead of filing a notice of discontinuance, an employer
may serve on the employee and file with the commissioner a petition to discontinue compensation.
A petition to discontinue compensation may also be used when the employer disagrees with
the commissioner's decision under section 176.239. Within ten calendar days after receipt of a
petition to discontinue, the commissioner shall refer the matter to the office for a de novo hearing
before a compensation judge to determine the right of the employer to discontinue compensation.
The petition shall include copies of medical reports or other written reports or evidence in
the possession of the employer bearing on the physical condition or other present status of the
employee which relate to the proposed discontinuance. The employer shall continue payment
of compensation until the filing of the decision of the compensation judge and thereafter as the
compensation judge, court of appeals, or the Supreme Court directs, unless, during the interim,
occurrences arise justifying the filing of a notice under subdivision 1 or 2 and the discontinuance
is permitted by the commissioner's order or no conference under section 176.239 is requested.
    Subd. 6. Expedited hearing before compensation judge. A hearing before a compensation
judge shall be held within 60 calendar days after the office receives the file from the commissioner
if:
(a) an objection to discontinuance has been filed under subdivision 4 within 60 calendar days
after the notice of discontinuance was filed and where no administrative conference has been held;
(b) an objection to discontinuance has been filed under subdivision 4 within 60 calendar days
after the commissioner's decision under this section has been issued;
(c) a petition to discontinue has been filed by the insurer in lieu of filing a notice of
discontinuance; or
(d) a petition to discontinue has been filed within 60 calendar days after the commissioner's
decision under this section has been issued.
If the petition or objection is filed later than the deadlines listed above, the expedited
procedures in this section apply only where the employee is unemployed at the time of filing the
objection and shows, to the satisfaction of the chief administrative judge, by sworn affidavit, that
the failure to file the objection within the deadlines was due to some infirmity or incapacity of
the employee or to circumstances beyond the employee's control. The hearing shall be limited to
the issues raised by the notice or petition unless all parties agree to expanding the issues. If the
issues are expanded, the time limits for hearing and issuance of a decision by the compensation
judge under this subdivision shall not apply.
Once a hearing date has been set, a continuance of the hearing date will be granted only
under the following circumstances:
(a) the employer has agreed, in writing, to a continuation of the payment of benefits pending
the outcome of the hearing; or
(b) the employee has agreed, in a document signed by the employee, that benefits may be
discontinued pending the outcome of the hearing.
Absent a clear showing of surprise at the hearing or the unexpected unavailability of a crucial
witness, all evidence must be introduced at the hearing. If it is necessary to accept additional
evidence or testimony after the scheduled hearing date, it must be submitted no later than 14 days
following the hearing, unless the compensation judge, for good cause, determines otherwise.
The compensation judge shall issue a decision pursuant to this subdivision within 30 days
following the close of the hearing record.
    Subd. 7. Order of compensation judge. If the order of the compensation judge confirms a
discontinuance of compensation, the service and filing of the order relieves the employer from
further liability for compensation subject to the right of review provided by this chapter, and to
the right of the compensation judge to set aside the order at any time prior to the review and to
grant a new hearing pursuant to this chapter. Once an appeal to the Workers' Compensation Court
of Appeals is filed, a compensation judge may not set aside the order. In any appeal from the
compensation judge's decision under this section, the court of appeals shall conclude any oral
arguments by the parties within 60 days following certification of the record from the office.
    Subd. 8. Notice forms. Notices under this section shall be on forms prescribed by the
commissioner.
    Subd. 9. Service on attorney. If the employee has been presently represented by an attorney
for the same injury, all notices required by this section shall also be served on the last attorney
of record.
    Subd. 10. Fines; violation. An employer who violates requirements set forth in this
section or section 176.239 is subject to a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation payable to the
commissioner for deposit in the assigned risk safety account.
    Subd. 11. Application of section. This section shall not apply to those employees who
have been adjudicated permanently totally disabled, or to those employees who have been
administratively determined pursuant to division rules to be permanently totally disabled.
History: 1987 c 332 s 65; 1995 c 231 art 2 s 90,91; 2001 c 123 s 22; 2005 c 90 s 18