Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2014

Rebel Distributors Corp. v. LUBA Workers' Comp.

Rebel Distributors Corp. v. LUBA Workers' Comp.
Louisiana Court of Appeal · Decided April 2, 2014 · Amy, Assigns, Exceptions, Peters, Reasons, Thibodeaux
137 So. 3d 102; 12 La.App. 3 Cir. 912; 2014 WL 1327482; 2014 La. App. LEXIS 875 (Southern Reporter, Third Series)

Rebel Distributors Corp. v. LUBA Workers' Comp.

Opinion of the Court

PETERS, J.

It For the reasons assigned in Rebel Distributors, Inc. v. LUBA Workers’ Compensation, 12-909 (La.App. 3 Cir. 4/2/14), 137 So.3d 91, we affirm the judg*103ment of the workers’ compensation judge in all respects. We assess costs of this appeal equally between the plaintiff, Rebel Distributors Corp., Inc. d/b/a Physician Partner and Pharmacy Partner, and the defendants, LUBA Casualty Insurance Company and J & J Exterminating Company.

AFFIRMED.

THIBODEAUX, Chief Judge, dissents in part and assigns written reasons, with the exceptions of No. 12-923 and No. 19-924.

Dissenting Opinion

THIBODEAUX, Chief Judge,

dissenting in part.

_JjThe majority affirms the judgment of the Office of Workers’ Compensation limiting the payment of the outstanding pharmacy bill to $750.00 pursuant to La.R.S. 23:1142. In my view, that is erroneous.

Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:1142(B)(1) and (B)(2)(a) repeatedly refer to “diagnostic testing” and “treatment.” It does not, as the majority opinion concedes, include prescription medication as part of nonemergency diagnostic testing or treatment. The diagnostic testing and treatment are the only matters that are subject to the $750.00 cap, not medication.

The more specific provisions of Part II of Chapter 10 entitled “Benefits” should properly apply. Louisiana Revised Statutes 23:1203(A)(B)(D) and (E) all specifically refer to “drugs,” “supplies,” or “services.” The majority, in my view, is interpreting La.R.S. 23:1203 much too restrictively and focuses undue attention on references to “employer” and “employee.”

For the foregoing reasons, I respectfully dissent in part.

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