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Comprehensive Workers’ Comp Reform Bill Set for House Vote
SB 408 by Sen. Brach Myers (R–Lafayette), a significant effort to modernize Louisiana’s workers’ compensation medical fee schedule and improve the delivery of medical benefits to injured workers, is set for a House Floor vote in the House Tuesday. If passed, the bill would either return to the Senate for potential concurrence or to be sent to conference committee.
The proposal advanced from House Labor earlier this month following the adoption of a series of LABI-backed amendments that substantially reshaped the bill into a broader system reform package.
Initially, LABI raised concerns regarding physician reimbursement levels and other provisions affecting system balance, predictability, and long-term cost impacts. However, that position shifted after Rep. Michael Melerine (R–Shreveport) introduced amendments—developed with stakeholder input and drawing from provisions in House-passed HB 1101 by Rep. Melerine and HB 780 by Rep Gabe Firment (R-Pollock).
With these changes, LABI now supports SB 408 as a negotiated, multi-stakeholder compromise aimed at modernizing Louisiana’s WC system while improving outcomes for both injured workers and employers.
The amendments are intended to prevent long-term system instability, noting that Louisiana’s last comprehensive overhaul occurred during the Foster administration.
In practical terms, the amended legislation modernizes medical delivery standards, strengthens return-to-work outcomes, improves fee schedule transparency, reduces system abuse potential, and increases consistency in claims administration.
Key Provisions of the omnibus bill include:
- Revises the workers’ comp medical reimbursement schedule and establishes a data collection and analysis process to establish fair and predictable reimbursement for healthcare providers.
- Defines Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) as the point at which an injured worker is not expected to experience significant further recovery.
- Establishes clearer limits on Temporary Total Disability (TTD), capping benefits at MMI or 208 weeks, with a limited extension included.
- Allows both causation and MMI to serve as bases for independent medical examinations.
- Reduces the maximum duration of Supplemental Earnings Benefits from 520 weeks to 416 weeks.
- Revises the administrative dispute resolution process to streamline adjudication and reduce litigation costs.