There are several circumstances under which benefits stop:
- When an injured employee is released by their treating physician to return to work.
- Whenever an injured employee refuses to comply with a reasonable request for medical examination or to accept medical treatment, compensation may be stopped for the period of time an employee continues the refusal.
- Whenever the employer or insurance carrier has been paying benefits and discovers those payments were made in error, the insurance carrier can stop payment but must file a Notice of Controversy (Form C-27).
- When an injured employee’s treating physician determines the employee has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), and the compensability has not been contested. Payments must continue until the earlier of the following events:
- an injured employee accepts or rejects a job offered by the employer at a wage equal to or greater than the employee's pre-injury wage, or
- a benefit review conference is held and a report is filed.
Payments for employees whose injuries result in a permanent disability cannot exceed a) 60 days beyond the determination of MMI or b) the value of the permanent partial disability award calculated by using the medical impairment given by the treating physician. The injured employee should be offered a settlement in writing by the insurance carrier within thirty (30) days of receipt of the medical impairment rating.
Tennessee Department of Labor/Bureau of Workers' Compensation