Skip Maine state header navigation
A meeting of the Workers’ Compensation Board of Directors was held on Tuesday, January 18, 2005 at the Board's Central Office in Augusta (located in the AMHI Complex, Deering Building – Rm. 170, Augusta, Maine). Chair Dionne called the meeting to order at 9:54 a.m.
PRESENT: Paul Dionne, James Mingo, Gary Koocher, John Cooney, Anthony Monfiletto, Rodney Hiltz and Joan Kirkpatrick.
Anthony Monfiletto MOVED TO APPROVE, AS WRITTEN, THE MINUTES OF DECEMBER 21, 2004 AND JANUARY 4, 2005; John Cooney seconded.
Discussion:
Directors discussed the motion and adjournment vote on page 6 of the 12-21-04 draft minutes (Director Koocher pointed out that he proposed the 60-day moratorium motion on 12-7-04, not on 12-21-04, and noted the motion was voted on at the 1-4-05 meeting, and remarked that the adjournment vote on page 6 should read 6-0, instead of 7-0, because there were only six members present at that meeting) and withdrawing the motion and taking action on the minutes after staff has amended the 12-21-04 minutes and distributed a revised version to the Board for final action.
Amendments
Directors agreed to the amend the 12-21-04 minutes by removing the motion on page 6 and changing the adjournment vote to 6-0.
Conclusion
Chairman Dionne called for a vote to accept the minutes of 12-21-04, as amended, and the 1-4-05 minutes as written:
MOTION, AS AMENDED, PASSES 6-0-1 (Director Cooney abstained)
CHAPTER 3 - FORM FILINGS
§ 4. Electronic filing
1. “Electronic data interchange” or “EDI” means the computer-to-computer exchange of business transactions in a standardized electronic format. Acceptable formats are (1) the State of Maine Proprietary EDI Format, and (2) an International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) enhanced Release 01 Flat-File Format.
2. All First Reports of Injury (WCB-1) involving a day or more of lost time shall be filed with the Board by EDI not later than January 1, 2005.
3. All Notices of Controversy (WCB-9) shall be filed with the Board by EDI not later than July 1, 2005.
4. All Memoranda of Payment (WCB-3) shall be filed with the Board by EDI not later than January 1, 2006.
5. The Board, at its discretion by majority vote of its membership, may grant an employer, insurer or third-party administrator a waiver of the filing requirements of this section if the employer, insurer or third-party administrator establishes to the satisfaction of the Board that compliance with these requirements would cause undue hardship. For purposes of this section, undue hardship means significant difficulty or expense. The selection of EDI format is one factor that the Board may consider in deciding upon a request for a waiver. Requests for waivers should be submitted in writing and addressed to the Chair of the Workers’ Compensation Board, 27 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333-0027.
6. The Board file shall include all electronic submissions, regardless of whether a paper copy is physically in the file.
Gary Koocher MOVED TO GRANT THE THREE EDI WAIVER
REQUESTS; John Cooney seconded. (withdrawn).
Discussion (Waiver Requests Filed Pursuant to Ch. 3, Sec.
5): Directors and Staff discussed the request from Claims Management,
Inc.—the
entity currently handling workers’ compensation claims for Wal-Mart,
whose performance the Board discussed at length on 12-7-04 regarding its poor
claims handling practices; the waiver requests the Board has approved to date
which require the entities to come into compliance with Chapter 3, Section
2 on or before 7-1-05 and the three requests currently before the Board (Director
Hiltz, referring to the three requests, stated they are late because Ch.3,
Sec. 2 went into effect on 1-1-05 and stated the Board may want to deny them
for that reason); amending the motion to include the following language “six
months from January 1, 2005”, which will be the same timeframe given
to those entities receiving a six-month extension; withdrawing the motion and
acting on each request individually;
Claims Management, Inc. requesting a two-month extension, even though staff
recommends giving the entity six months to come into compliance – the
same timeframe given to the other entities who have been granted an extension
to comply with the new form filing procedures; the 60-day moratorium approved
by the Board on 1-4-05 applying to those entities filing forms electronically
after 1-1-05; the Board being consistent with respect to its action on the
waiver requests it has received and granted to date; those entities that are
currently using the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards
and Commissions’ Release 1 EDI program, which will soon be migrating
to the Association’s new Release 3 program; how best to proceed with
the waiver request filed by Claims Management, Inc. as it relates to their
poor claims handling practices and request for an extension of time to comply
with the new requirements in Chapter 3
(a suggestion was made for the Board to deal with the two issues separately);
the Board’s discussion with Wal-Mart’s Legal Representative Sheila
McLauglin on 12-7-04; whether the Board needs to act on the requests since
the Board instituted a 60-day moratorium for late filings on 1-4-05; Technology
Officer P.Fortier recommending the Board grant each of the requests for six
months; a recommendation made by J.Greenier with respect to increasing the
$100 penalty to $1,000 for late-filed lost-time First Reports (Mr. Greenier
stated the Board may want to consider raising the fine for late filings to
$1,000 and asserted his employer was assessed a fine that was not paid. In
response, Staff stated the $100 penalty is imposed by statute and would require
legislative action to change the amount); including language in the motion
that states the six-month extension begins on 1-1-05 and ends on 7-1-05 and
Director Koocher’s withdrawal of his motion regarding the three requests
and Director Cooney’s withdrawal of his second to the motion so that
the Board can act on the requests individually.
Gary Koocher MOVED TO GRANT A WAIVER FOR THE THREE REQUESTS THROUGH JULY 1, 2005; John Cooney seconded.
Rodney Hiltz MOVED TO AMEND THE MOTION TO DEAL WITH EACH REQUEST INDIVIDUALLY; Anthony Monfiletto seconded. MOTION PASSES 4-3(Directors Koocher, Cooney and Mingo opposed).
Chairman Dionne called for a vote on granting the waiver request filed by
Claims Management, Inc. MOTION FAILS 3-4 (Directors
Dionne, Monfiletto, Hiltz and Kirkpatrick opposed).
Chairman Dionne called for a vote on granting the waiver request filed by CHN Solutions. MOTION PASSES 6-1 (Director Hiltz opposed).
Chairman Dionne called for a vote on granting the waiver request filed by National Grange Mutual, MOTION PASSES 5-2 (Directors Monfiletto and Hiltz opposed).
Discussion:
Directors and Staff briefly discussed the Board’s prior hearing on the Holland case and Director Monfiletto’s inability to attend the proceedings on 2-15-05 because he will be out of town.
LD 97
AN ACT TO TERMINTE PAYMENTS TO THE MAINE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION RESIDUAL MARKET POOL FROM THE MAINE INSURANCE GUARANTY ASSOCIATIONSummary:
The bill amends Title 24-A, §§4435(5) and 4438(1) and terminates the Maine Insurance Guaranty Association’s quarterly payment obligation s to the Maine Workers’ Compensation Residual Market Pool.Discussion on L.D. 97:
Directors and Staff discussed the bill terminating the obligation of the Maine Insurance Guaranty Association to make payments to the residual market pool (Staff noted that it is believed that the residual market pool is adequately funded for the remaining cases and that by virtue of the Insurance Guaranty Association having to make payments into the residual market pool it is increasing the costs of other lines of insurance such as homeowners and automobile insurance) and the bill, if enacted, amending Title 24A.LD 54
AN ACT TO REDUCE WORKERS’ COMPENSATION COSTS FOR SMALL BUSINESS EMPLOYERSSummary:
The bill exempts employers of six or fewer employees from securing workers’ compensation coverage if they have an employers’ liability policy with limits of $100,000 times the number of full-time equivalent employees and medical payment coverage of not less than $5,000 and would require employers to provide healthcare coverage for its employees.Discussion:
Directors, Staff and Participants discussed the bill exempting employers with six or fewer employees from obtaining workers’ compensation coverage for their employees if they have an employer’s liability policy with limits of $100,000 times the number of workers plus medical payment coverage of not less than $5,000; the bill also requiring employers to have health insurance coverage for its employees – either through the Dirigo plan or another plan that has benefits that are the equivalent, no hearing being scheduled on L.D.’s 54 or 97 at this time, L.D. 54 being heard by the Joint Standing Committee on Labor; Board staff being unable to ascertain the number of employers that will be affected by the bill (Mr. Rohde stated he is looking into whether information is available on how many employers in Maine have six or fewer employees); taking no action at this time on L.D. 54 until information becomes available on the number of employers the bill will affect (Chairman Dionne stated the bill will most likely have an impact on a significant number of employers) Rep. Watson sponsoring L.D. 54 and Representatives Patrick, Smith and Trahan co-sponsoring the bill;
Attorney Muir’s comments about L.D. 54 (Mr. Muir noted the proposal was put forth approximately four years ago and that several entities opposed the bill at the time because of the uncertainties, such as how the number of employers with six or fewer employees would be counted, how premiums would be calculated and the difficulty it creates from an underwriting standpoint, seasonal employers with six or fewer employees and how they would factor into the equation, whether an employer liability policy even exists in the marketplace, which only pays if an employer is liable, etc. Mr. Muir noted most employees would not get paid under a liability policy which allows for a $5,000
medical plan and stated he obtained information this morning on the average number of dollars spent on medical claims which is about $85,000 for a total compensation case); the Dirigo healthcare plan excluding occupational injuries (Mr. Muir noted that the plan does not cover work-related injuries and that employers would need to provide medical payments under their liability policies); the significant number of employers in the State of Maine that will be affected by the bill, if passed (Mr. Muir noted that approximately 90% of the employers affected will be MEMIC insureds and remarked that most small employers are not self-insured and that he estimates that at least 5,000 employers out of the 22,000 employers in Maine will fall under the definition of the bill) and L.D. 54 most likely being opposed again during the First Session of the 122nd Legislature.
John Cooney MOVED TO ADJOURN; Anthony Monfiletto seconded. MOTION PASSES 7-0.
The meeting formally adjourned at 10:37 a.m.
Return to 2005 Board Minutes
Return to WCB Homepage