LA HB1119

Requires an expedited court hearing before employers can suspend workers' compensation benefits for an employee's refusal to submit to a medical examination, replacing the current process where employers can suspend benefits unilaterally under R.S. 23:1201.1(A)(4) and (5)

Expedited hearings must be held between 10 and 30 days after the employee receives certified/registered mail notice, with no pre-trial mediation required and proceedings conducted as a rule to show cause

Suspended benefits must be paid to the employee within 10 days once the medical examination takes place

Shifts authority for reducing benefits due to failure to cooperate with vocational rehabilitation from employer/payor discretion to court order, requiring a judicial finding of unreasonable refusal before the 50% weekly reduction can be imposed

Expands expedited summary proceedings to include disputes over penalties and attorney fees related to physician choice authorization, and removes employee-initiated proceedings to lift benefit suspensions for refusing medical examinations