Carrier Must Pay for Medical Treatment that Wasn't Causally-Related to Worker's Back Injury

Employers and carriers in Iowa can be held liable for the cost of a worker's medical treatment from the care provider they authorized, even if that treatment is not for an industrial injury, according to a Court of Appeals decision from Wednesday. Deciding an issue of first impression, the court ruled that Iowa Code Section 85.27(4) places an affirmative duty to inform a worker that it is cutting off its authorization for treatment. An employer will remain on the hook for the worker's treatment costs up until it gives such notice. Thus, the court said that the Selective Insurance Co....