HI HB1973

Adds a late payment penalty requiring employers to pay temporary partial disability benefits within 14 calendar days after the end of the employee's workweek, matching the existing 10-day requirement for temporary total disability benefits.

Imposes a 20% penalty on unpaid temporary partial disability benefits owed by employers or insurance carriers, payable without requiring a director's order or decision.

Allows disability benefit eligibility to be determined by primary care physician certification every 30 days, and permits use of another physician's review of medical records if the primary care physician is unavailable.

Clarifies that an employee's failure to receive physician certification does not disqualify them from receiving temporary total or temporary partial disability benefits during the period before medical stabilization or while enrolled in vocational rehabilitation.

Permits waiver of contemporaneous certification and allows one-time retroactive certification of disability within 12 months of the request date if the physician certifies the disability based on previous medical records.