B&I - Division of Industrial Relations
Synopsis: The Division of Industrial Relations includes the Administrator's Office, the Workers' Compensation Section (WCS) and the Legal Section. The WCS regulates Nevada's workers' compensation programs to ensure that injured workers receive timely and accurate delivery of wage loss compensation, physical impairment compensation, medical compensation and rehabilitation benefits through a comprehensive program of training, auditing, investigation and enforcement. The WCS is also responsible for the regulation of private insurers, self-insured employers, associations of public and private self-insured employers, private workers' compensation carriers, third-party administrators, managed care organizations and health care providers. The WCS Compliance Unit enforces the statutory requirement that all employers with one or more employees maintain a policy of workers' compensation. In a non-regulatory capacity, WCS oversees the administration of uninsured claims. The Administrator's office and legal section provide general administration and legal support services to the operating units of Division of Industrial Relations.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY: NRS 616 and 617
Conducts statutory, follow-up, high-risk and other audits:NRS 616A.400, NRS 616B.003.
Conducts insurer, health care provider and employer investigations: NRS 616A.400, NRS 616A.410, and NRS 616A.485.
Investigates complaints and benefit penalty requests, in addition to employer and health care provider complaints: NRS 616A.400, NRS 616A.475, and NRS 616D.130.
Issues notices, orders, fines, benefit penalties and premium penalties: NRS 616D.120-145 and NRS 616D.200.
Issues stop work orders: NRS 616D.110.
Evaluates and provides determinations for Subsequent Injury Account requests by private workers' compensation insurers: NRS 616B.584-590.
Issues annual payments to eligible permanent total disability claimants: NRS 616C.453.
Provides recommendations to the Subsequent Injury Account Boards for self-insured and associations of self-insured employers: NRS 616B.545-560, NRS 616B.563-581.
Collects data, conducts research and reports on workers' compensation issues: NRS 616B.006 and NRS 616B.009.
Investigates and makes referrals to claims administrator for uninsured claims to determine compensability: NRS 616C.220.
Administers statutes and regulations pertaining to occupational disease: NRS 617.160.
Collects and monitors data on specified occupational diseases (heart/lung, cancer, infectious) and makes annual report available to the public: NRS 617.357.