Georgia Increases its Maximum Compensation Rates and Extends Medical Benefits Beyond the 400-Week Cap
Increase
in Maximum Compensation Rates
The current maximum
compensation rates will increase for claims with a date of injury on or
after July 1, 2019.
Temporary
Total Disability (TTD)/Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
- Current Maximum:
$575.00/week - New Maximum:
$675.00/week
Temporary
Partial Disability (TPD)
- Current Maximum: $383.00/week
- New Maximum: $450.00/week
Changes to
Medical Benefits
Georgia’s
workers’ compensation medical benefits are capped at 400-weeks for
non-catastrophic injuries that occurred on or after July 1, 2013. The amendment
removes the 400-week cap on certain very specific medical benefits for all
claims with dates of injury on or after July 1, 2013, but it does not eliminate
the 400-week cap entirely. Instead, the amendment states that the 400-week cap
does not apply to the “care, treatment, services, and items” related to the
ongoing “maintenance, repair, revision, replacement, or removal” of (1)
prosthetic devices, (2) spinal cord stimulators, (3) intrathecal pump devices,
(4) durable medical equipment, (5) orthotics, (6) corrective eyeglasses, and
(7) hearing aids, when those items are prescribed by the authorized treating
physician and
originally provided within 400 weeks of the date of injury.
As written, the
recent amendment removing the 400-week cap applies to all active claims that
are subject to the cap. Since the 400-week cap on medical benefits only applies
to dates of injury on or after July 1, 2013, the first claims affected will
start to reach the 400-week cap on or after February 28, 2021. The amendment
may, however, immediately impact the reserves and the forecast of future
medical exposure for some claims.
For questions regarding this bill, please contact one of
MGC’s Georgia workers’ compensation attorneys. Contact information can be found
at www.mgclaw.com.
This legal update is published as a service to our
clients and friends. It is intended to provide general information and does not
constitute legal advice regarding any specific situation. Past success does not
indicate likelihood of success in any future legal representation.