Senate committee advances package of workers’ compensation bills after extended debate; insurers and employers warn of cost risks

The Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee voted to advance multiple bills amending Arkansas’ workers’ compensation system after several hours of testimony from employer groups, insurers, attorneys, medical providers and the state Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Sponsor Sen. Dan Peyton presented a package that he said was intended to recalibrate parts of the system to improve injured workers’ access to specialists and to update benefit calculations for higher‑wage workers. The committee passed the package by separate motions and recorded votes (by voice vote and committee roll calls where noted) to move the bills out of committee.

What the major bills do

• SB 288 — Change of specialist physician: Sponsor Peyton said SB 288 would allow an injured worker to request a change of specialist physician no more than once a year, limited to specialists within the workers’ compensation network unless the claimant can demonstrate a bona fide preexisting doctor–patient relationship. Peyton framed the bill as completing a pair of measures (one addressing primary care and this one addressing specialists) and said it would not allow “doctor shopping” outside network rules. The committee heard both supporting testimony from treating physicians who said workers should be able to see specialists they trust and a sustained opposition from employers and employers’ groups who argued it would prolong claims and increase costs. The committee voted to pass SB 288; the transcript records committee approval and an oral announcement that the bill passed.

• SB 285 — Maximum benefit and…