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That may soon be the question. Ever since reporting back in February 2022
that changes to TDI’s Plain Language Notice forms were on the horizon, eager
system participants have been dying to know when they will be able to use the
new versions. The wait is almost over! The new PLNs become
effective on the not-at-all-random date of July 26, 2023.
The new PLN-2B (Notice of First Payment of Income Benefits on an Acquired
Claim) distinguishes itself from the rechristened PLN-2A (Notice of First
Temporary Income Benefit Payment) by apprising its recipient that his/her claim
administrator has changed and will be sending its first payment. Astute
readers will notice that 2A is limited to Temporary Income Benefits, while 2B
pertains to the first Income Benefit of any type paid by the new administrator
and omits any reference to the injured workers’ average weekly wage. Form
2B should only be used to report the first payment on an acquired claim.
Not to be outdone, the PLN-10 (Reinstatement of Indemnity Benefits) shall
henceforth be known as PLN-10A, while the sleek new PLN-10B alerts injured
workers or beneficiaries to expect a lump sum payment of workers’ compensation
benefits, with the type, amount, and reason for the benefit explained
therein. System participants will be seeing a lot of the PLN-10B, as it
is to be used whenever lump sum payments are issued pursuant to a DWC-24
agreement, a Decision and Order, an interlocutory order, an Appeals Panel Decision,
an advance/acceleration/commutation of benefits, or when past due benefits are
paid with interest.
The time-honored PLN-11 Notice of Disputed Issues and Refusal to Pay Benefits
comes with a new admonition in its instructions. If disability is in dispute,
the Carrier must file the requisite Electronic Data Interchange (EDI)
transaction before the notice of refusal to pay benefits will be considered
complete.
Other changes to the revised forms, including the PLN-8, PLN-10A, PLN-11, and
PLN-14 are more subtle, mostly involving the insertion of the word “Insurance”
before “Carrier” throughout each. This serves as a helpful reminder that
it is Insurance Carriers
who should be using these forms, not any of the following groups:
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