WC Risk Alert: Changes to Industrial Commission Fees
Special Edition – Changes to Industrial Commission Fees Effective July 1, 2015
As previously reported in Risk Alert: Special Edition (New IC Rules) published in October 2014, Industrial Commission costs associated with settlement agreements and mediations were increased, but the fees for Forms 21, 26, and 26A and hearing costs have now been eliminated. Effective back on November 1, 2014, the processing fee for compromise settlement agreements, or clinchers, increased from $375 to $400. Additionally, a fee of $200 is now charged for the filing of the “Report of Mediator” form, regardless if the mediation is mandatory or voluntary. As before, the employer or carrier pays the processing fee for the clincher and the “Report of Mediator” in their entirety, but is entitled to a credit for the employee’s 50% share of the fees against any settlement proceeds or final award, unless the parties agree otherwise.
Most recently, effective July 1, 2015, the $120 fee for Deputy Commissioner hearings and the $220 fee for Full Commission hearings was eliminated. The $300 processing fees for Forms 21, 26, and 26A were also eliminated effective July 1, 2015.