Sec. 1. 39-A MRSA §306, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 354, §6 and affected by §10, is amended to read:

2. Payment of benefits. If an employer or insurer pays benefits under this Act, with or without prejudice, within the period provided in subsection 1, the period during which an employee or other interested party must file a petition is 6 years from the date of the most recent payment. For purposes of this subsection, the provision of medical treatment by a person employed by the employer or under direct contract with the employer constitutes the payment of a benefit under this Act.

SUMMARY

This bill provides that medical treatment provided by an employee or direct contractor of the employer constitutes a benefit payment by the employer for purposes of determining when an injured employee must file a petition with the Workers' Compensation Board.