85.38 Reduction of obligations of employer.
1. Contributions or donations. The compensation herein provided shall be the measure of liability which the employer has assumed for injuries or death that may occur to employees in the employer’s employment subject to the provisions of this chapter, and it shall not be in anywise reduced by contribution from employees or donations from any source.
2. Benefits paid under group plans.
a. In the event the employee with a disability shall receive any benefits, including medical, surgical, or hospital benefits, under any group plan covering nonoccupational disabilities contributed to wholly or partially by the employer, which benefits should not have been paid or payable if any rights of recovery existed under this chapter, chapter 85A, or chapter 85B, then the amounts so paid to the employee from the group plan shall be credited to or against any compensation payments, including medical, surgical, or hospital, made or to be made under this chapter, chapter 85A, or chapter 85B. The amounts so credited shall be deducted from the payments made under these chapters. Any nonoccupational plan shall be reimbursed in the amount deducted. This section shall not apply to payments made under any group plan which would have been payable even though there was an injury under this chapter or an occupational disease under chapter 85A or an occupational hearing loss under chapter 85B. Any employer receiving such credit shall keep the employee safe and harmless from any and all claims or liabilities that may be made against them by reason of having received the payments only to the extent of the credit.
b. If an employer denies liability under this chapter, chapter 85A, or chapter 85B, for payment for any medical services received or weekly compensation requested by an employee, and the employee is a beneficiary under either an individual or group plan for nonoccupational illness, injury, or disability, the nonoccupational plan shall not deny payment for the medical services received or for benefits under the plan on the basis that the employer’s liability under this chapter, chapter 85A, or chapter 85B is unresolved.
3. Supplementation of workers’ compensation benefits. A public employer shall not supplement an employee’s workers’ compensation benefits by reducing the employee’s sick leave, vacation leave, or earned compensatory time entitlements, unless the employer first notifies the employee of the employee’s option to supplement and the employee elects to so supplement.
4. Lien for hospital and medical services under chapter 249A. In the event any hospital or medical services as provided in section 85.27 are paid by the state department of human services on behalf of an employee who is entitled to such benefits under the provisions of this chapter or chapter 85A or 85B, a lien shall exist as respects the right of such employee to benefits as described in section 85.27.
[S13, §2477-m12; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §1398; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §85.38]
83 Acts, ch 96, §160; 83 Acts, ch 153, §1; 84 Acts, ch 1086, §1; 96 Acts, ch 1129, §18; 97 Acts, ch 36, §1; 2002 Acts, ch 1050, §14; 2005 Acts, ch 168, §11, 23; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §263
Referred to in §85.27
Structure Iowa Code
Title III - PUBLIC SERVICES AND REGULATION
Chapter 85 - WORKERS’ COMPENSATION
Section 85.1 - Inapplicability of chapter.
Section 85.2 - Public employees — chapter compulsory.
Section 85.3 - Acceptance presumed — notice to nonresident employers.
Section 85.16 - Willful injury — intoxication.
Section 85.18 - Contract to relieve not operative.
Section 85.20 - Rights of employee exclusive.
Section 85.21 - Payments concerning liability disputes.
Section 85.22 - Liability of others — subrogation.
Section 85.23 - Notice of injury — failure to give.
Section 85.24 - Form of notice.
Section 85.25 - Service of notice.
Section 85.26 - Limitation of actions — who may maintain action.
Section 85.27 - Services — release of information — charges — payment — debt collection prohibited.
Section 85.28 - Burial expense.
Section 85.29 - Liability in case of no dependents.
Section 85.30 - Maturity date and interest.
Section 85.31 - Death cases — dependents.
Section 85.32 - When compensation begins.
Section 85.33 - Temporary total and temporary partial disability.
Section 85.34 - Permanent disabilities.
Section 85.36 - Basis of computation.
Section 85.37 - Compensation schedule.
Section 85.38 - Reduction of obligations of employer.
Section 85.39 - Examination of injured employees.
Section 85.40 - Statement of earnings.
Section 85.41 - Refusal to furnish statement.
Section 85.42 - Conclusively presumed dependent.
Section 85.43 - Payment to spouse.
Section 85.44 - Payment to actual dependents.
Section 85.47 - Basis of commutation.
Section 85.48 - Partial commutation.
Section 85.49 - Trustees for minors and dependents.
Section 85.50 - Report of trustee.
Section 85.51 - Alien dependents in foreign country.
Section 85.52 - Consular officer as trustee.
Section 85.53 - Notice to consular officer.
Section 85.54 - Contracts to avoid compensation.
Section 85.55 - Franchisor-franchisee relationship.
Section 85.56 - Employees in interstate commerce.
Section 85.59 - Benefits for inmates and offenders.
Section 85.62 - Inmates of county jail.
Section 85.64 - Limitation of benefits.
Section 85.65 - Payments to second injury fund.
Section 85.65A - Payments to second injury fund — surcharge on employers.
Section 85.66 - Second injury fund — creation — custodian.
Section 85.67 - Administration of fund — special counsel — payment of award.
Section 85.68 - Actions — collection of payments — subrogation.
Section 85.69 - Federal contributions.
Section 85.71 - Injury outside of state.
Section 85.72 - Claims for benefits made outside of state — restrictions — credit.