Reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to work injury

An employer or their insurance carrier may deny payment of medical expenses without filing a petition if the medical expenses are for treatments not causally related to the work injury. However, the employer who unilaterally stops paying bills solely on the basis of causation assumes the risk that penalties will be assessed if the Judge later rules there is a causal relationship and the bills must be paid.

Further, when an employee suffers from an admittedly compensable continuing disability, the burden of proof remains with the employer to establish that medical expenses and services are not reasonable or necessary.