GQ Corner
Q. I have received Claimant’s request for travel reimbursement. What is my deadline to pay? Am I required to pay interest if I am late on payment?
A. Your question is governed by Rule 133.270. Subsection (c) states you have 45 days from receipt to pay or dispute the request for reimbursement. There is no rule or portion of the statute that mandates you pay interest on a reimbursement; however, we do recommend that you pay interest in the same manner in which you deal with other medical bills, which means interest starts at 60 days.
Q. The injured employee has returned to work on light duty, but is earning less than his pre-injury average weekly wage. In order to make up the difference between his pre-injury AWW and his post-injury earnings, the injured employee has been using his sick time. Do I still owe temporary income benefits in this situation?
A. Maybe. If the injured employee is voluntarily using his sick time, then you would not owe TIBs. When an injured employee voluntarily uses his sick time, it is considered post-injury earnings. However, if the injured employee is required to use his sick time, then you would owe TIBs, as this use of sick time would not be considered post-injury earnings.
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