Maine Workers’ Comp Chair Steps Aside from Some Cases

The chairman of the Maine Workers Compensation Board says he’ll no longer be involved in a case over how much hospitals may charge employers that pay medical bills for injured workers.

The Sun Journal of Lewiston says Paul Dionne has decided that further participation in the long-running case could make him look biased. Dionne is also board chairman of Central Maine Healthcare Corp., the parent company of several Maine hospitals.

Dionne’s decision follows a lawsuit by defense contractor Bath Iron Works that claims Dionne, as chairman of Central Maine Healthcare, is in a position to be in conflict of interest by being involved in the hospital-fee case.

Dionne disagreed, but said publicity about the case gives an appearance of a conflict.