Iowa House Bill HF2437

Iowa 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/24
• Refer: 2/12/24

Caption

A bill for an act relating to standards for determination of loss or permanent impairment for purposes of permanent partial disability under workers' compensation and including applicability provisions.

Impact

The implications of HF2437 on state laws involve striking the current requirement that the workers' compensation commissioner must adopt these guidelines through a formal rule-making process. By establishing that only the most current updates of the American Medical Association's standards will be applied, the bill seeks to ensure that the premises for assessing permanent impairment are aligned with the latest medical insights and practices. This change is expected to influence how compensation is calculated for workers who suffer permanent partial disabilities, potentially leading to more consistent outcomes across cases.

Summary

House File 2437 proposes amendments to the standards governing the determination of loss or permanent impairment for purposes of permanent partial disability under Iowa's workers' compensation laws. The bill specifies that the most recent annual update to the latest edition of the American Medical Association's guides to the evaluation of permanent impairment shall be utilized in these determinations. This marks a significant update from the previously adopted fifth edition, which was published in 2001, as HF2437 will now incorporate the 2023 update of the sixth edition.

Contention

Debate surrounding HF2437 could arise regarding the reliance solely on updated medical guidelines without consideration of lay testimony or agency expertise. This exclusivity might be seen by some as limiting the scope of factors that can inform impairment evaluations, potentially alienating case outcomes from personal circumstances that would affect a worker's ability to work. Advocates for broader input in these evaluations may argue that a more inclusive approach would facilitate fairer compensation that reflects individual worker situations more aptly.