27-14-802. Rulemaking power; fees; state's average wages; vocational rehabilitation; contracts with clerks of district court.

(a) The director may adopt rules and regulations for administration of this act. The director shall by rule and regulation establish criteria for qualification of resident and nonresident employers, provide for advance payments of employer premiums under W.S. 27-14-202(e), provide fee schedules for all medical and hospital care rendered injured employees and for the establishment of the state's average monthly wage. In addition, the division may by rule and regulation establish a separate fee schedule for surgical procedures and hospital admissions preauthorized by the division. Changes in any rule or regulation adopted under this subsection shall be considered only at quarterly intervals.

(b) Before the last day of each quarter in each year, the department shall estimate the average monthly and weekly wage for the twelve (12) months preceding the quarter, based on unemployment insurance commission information and other available statistics.

(c) The division, together with the division of vocational rehabilitation within the department of workforce services, shall jointly establish consistent rules and regulations for the implementation of W.S. 27-14-408.

(d) The division may contract with the clerks of district court on a county by county basis, for compensation mutually agreed upon, to perform the following functions:

(i) Technical assistance to employers, employees, health care providers and other interested parties in complying with the requirements of this act and interacting with the worker's compensation system;

(ii) Providing necessary forms to employers, employees health care providers and other interested parties;

(iii) Responding to inquiries on the status of particular cases;

(iv) Obtaining documents including confidential documents, concerning individual cases and transmitting these documents to authorized persons;

(v) Retention and storage of records prior to January 1, 1997; and

(vi) Any other administrative function useful in the management of the worker's compensation program.

(e) Compensation negotiated pursuant to subsection (d) of this section shall be paid from the worker's compensation account and the agreement may be modified at any time by mutual consent of the parties or may be terminated by either party following notice specified in the agreement.