HRS § 386-52 - Credit for voluntary payments and supplies in kind
AI-assisted research summary: The employer may get credit for certain prior payments or in-kind benefits against compensation, with director approval, and must notify the injured employee and director; the employee can request a hearing to dispute the credit.
(a) Any payments made by the employer to the injured employee during the employee's disability or to the employee's dependents which by the terms of this chapter were not payable when made, shall be deducted from the amount payable as compensation subject to the approval of the director; provided that: (1) The employer notifies the injured employee and the director in writing of any such credit request stating the reasons for such credit and informing the injured employee that the employee has the right to file a written request for a hearing to submit any evidence to dispute such a credit; (2) The deduction shall be made by shortening the period during which the compensation must be paid, or by reducing the total amount for which the employer is liable and not the amount of weekly benefits; (3) If overpayment cannot be credited, the director shall order the claimant to reimburse the employer. Failure to reimburse the employer shall entitle the employer to file for enforcement of such a decision in accordance with section 386-91. (b) If the employer continues to furnish to the injured employee, during the employee's disability, or to the employee's dependents, during their entitlement to weekly benefits, board, lodging, fuel, and other advantages the value of which has been included in the calculation of wages as provided in section 386-1, the furnishing of such advantages may be considered as payment in kind of that portion of the compensation which is based on such remuneration in kind; but if at any time during the compensation period the employer ceases to furnish such advantages, no further deduction of the value of such advantages as payment in kind from the compensation shall be permissible. [L 1963, c 116, pt of §1; Supp, §97-51; HRS ; am L 1979, c 66, §2; gen ch 1985] Case Notes Claimant required to reimburse employer/carrier where claimant's attendant care services were not "constantly necessary" under §386-23 and benefits were thus not "payable when made" and employer/carrier letter satisfied notice requirements of this section. 83 H. 361, 926 P.2d 1284 (1996).