May 2009 Executive Director Newsletter

Skip Maine state header navigation

Text Box: ENews

Text Box: management cooperation.
The objective of the publication is to advance the Board’s mission through education, research, information sharing, policy analysis, and thoughtful opinions.

Text Box: The Maine Workers’ Compensation Board will publish an ENewletter to advance the understanding of workers’ compensation throughout the State of Maine. The mission of the Board is to serve the employees and employers of the State fairly

Text Box: and expeditiously by ensuring compliance with the workers’ compensation laws, ensuring the prompt delivery of benefits legally due, promoting the prevention of disputes, utilizing dispute resolution to reduce litigation and facilitating labor-

Text Box: The importance of the Governor's legislation (Chapter 608) cannot be over-emphasized. The State of Maine has gradually improved its national rating regarding the costs of workers' compensation and an effective and efficient Board helps perpetuate this positive trend. Recently the Labor and Management members of the Board have been divided on several issues such as independent medical examiners, and issues related to setting, and collecting data to set, the permanent impairment (Cont’d on page 2)

Text Box: In 2004, Governor Baldacci worked diligently with both labor and management to ensure the passage of Public Law 2004 Chapter 608 which became effective April 8, 2004. The intent of the legislation was to break the Board's gridlock on key issues and return a sense of normalcy to the Board's operations. The legislation changed the structure of the Board from eight members to seven. Three members represent labor and three represent management. The seventh member is the Executive Director, Paul R. Dionne, who is Chair of the Board and serves at the pleasure of the Governor.

Text Box: Since the effective date of the legislation, the Board has resolved the gridlock and functions in an effective manner in setting policy. Some of the difficult issues the Board has acted on include: hearing officer appointments and terms; budgetary and assessment matters; increased efficiency through electronic filing mandates; improving compliance; ensuring the worker advocate program has adequate resources; maintaining a speedy and just dispute resolution system; and designing a Facility Fee Schedule to help control medical costs.

History (Cont’d)	2
Workers’ Compensation Board Appointments	2
Costs of Workers’ Compensation	2
Legislation	3
Budget and Assessment	3
Facility Fee Schedule	3
Employee Misclassifications	4
Summary	4

state of maine seal

picture of state capital