SECTION 130.108. Contesting Entitlement or Amount of Supplemental Income Benefits; Attorney Fees

(a) Injured Employee Disputes. An injured employee may contest the determination by the Division or the insurance carrier regarding non-entitlement to, or the amount of, supplemental income benefits by requesting a benefit review conference as provided by Chapter 141 of this title (relating to Dispute Resolution--Benefit Review Conference).

(b) Insurance Carrier Dispute; First Quarter. If an insurance carrier disputes a Division finding of entitlement to, or amount of, supplemental income benefits for the first quarter, the insurance carrier shall request a benefit review conference as provided by Chapter 141 of this title (relating to Dispute Resolution--Benefit Review Conference) within 10 days after receiving the Division determination of entitlement. An insurance carrier waives the right to contest the Division determination of entitlement to, or amount of, supplemental income benefits for the first quarter if the request is not received by the Division within 10 days after the date the insurance carrier received the determination.

(c) Insurance Carrier Dispute; Subsequent Quarter With Prior Payment. If an insurance carrier disputes entitlement to a subsequent quarter and the insurance carrier has paid supplemental income benefits during the quarter immediately preceding the quarter for which the Application for Supplemental Income Benefits is filed, the insurance carrier shall dispute entitlement to the subsequent quarter by requesting a benefit review conference as provided by Chapter 141 of this title (relating to Dispute Resolution--Benefit Review Conference) within 10 days after receiving the Application for Supplemental Income Benefits. An insurance carrier waives the right to contest the entitlement to supplemental income benefits for the subsequent quarter if the request is not received by the Division within 10 days after the date the insurance carrier received the Application for Supplemental Income Benefits. The insurance carrier does not waive the right to contest entitlement to supplemental income benefits if the insurance carrier has returned the injured employee's Application for Supplemental Income Benefits pursuant to §130.104(c) of this title (relating to Determination of Entitlement or Non-entitlement for Subsequent Quarters).

(d) Insurance Carrier Disputes; Subsequent Quarter Without Prior Payment. If an insurance carrier disputes entitlement to a subsequent quarter and the insurance carrier did not pay supplemental income benefits during the quarter immediately preceding the quarter for which the Application for Supplemental Income Benefits is filed, the insurance carrier shall send the determination to the injured employee within 10 days of the date the form was filed with the insurance carrier and include the reasons for the insurance carrier's finding of non-entitlement and instructions about the procedures for contesting the insurance carrier's determination as provided by subsection (a) of this section.

(e) Liability. An insurance carrier who unsuccessfully contests a Division determination of entitlement to supplemental income benefits is liable for:

(1) all accrued, unpaid supplemental income benefits, and interest on that amount; and

(2) reasonable and necessary attorney's fees incurred by the injured employee as a result of the insurance carrier's dispute which have been ordered by the Division or court.

Source Note: The provisions of this §130.108 adopted to be effective January 31, 1999, 24 TexReg 399; amended to be effective July 1, 2009, 34 TexReg 2138