Carolinas Medical Center v. Employers & Carriers Listed in Exhibit A

Hospital Payment Dispute Goes to Court

This case involved a disagreement over how much hospitals should be paid for treating injured workers under North Carolina's workers' compensation system. Carolinas Medical Center and other hospitals wanted to receive payment amounts that exceeded what they normally charged (called "UB-92 charges"). The hospitals argued that a state law limiting their payments was unconstitutional.

The North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled against the hospitals. The court found that the state's Industrial Commission didn't have the power to declare laws unconstitutional - only courts can do that. More importantly, the court confirmed that hospitals must accept the standard payment rates and cannot demand extra money beyond their usual charges when treating workers injured on the job.

This decision matters for workers because it helps keep workers' compensation costs reasonable. When hospitals can't charge inflated rates for treating workplace injuries, it helps ensure that workers' compensation insurance remains affordable for employers. This makes it more likely that workers will have access to medical care when they're hurt at work, since lower costs mean employers are less likely to try to avoid providing proper coverage.