655.465(3)
(3) Filling vacancies. If a person appointed to a mediation panel under
sub. (1) resigns from or is unable to serve on the mediation panel, the director of state courts shall appoint a replacement selected in the same manner as the predecessor appointee.
655.465(4)
(4) Conflict of interest. No person may serve on a mediation panel if the person has a professional or personal interest in the dispute.
655.465(5)
(5) Compensation. Each mediator shall be compensated $150 plus actual and necessary expenses for each day of mediation conducted. Compensation and expenses shall be paid out of the appropriation under
s. 20.680 (2) (qm) upon such authorizations as the director of state courts may prescribe.
655.465(6)
(6) Immunity and presumption of good faith. 655.465(6)(a)(a) A mediator is immune from civil liability for any good faith act or omission within the scope of the mediator's performance of his or her powers and duties under this subchapter.
655.465(6)(b)
(b) It is presumed that every act or omission under
par. (a) is a good faith act or omission. This presumption may be overcome only by clear and convincing evidence.
655.465(7)
(7) Mediation period. The period for mediation shall expire 90 days after the director of state courts receives a request for mediation if delivered in person or within 93 days after the date of mailing of the request to the director of state courts if sent by registered mail, or within a longer period agreed to by the claimant and all respondents and specified by them in writing for purposes of applying
ss. 655.44 (4) and
(5) and
655.445 (3).
655.465 Annotation
Claimant's failure to participate in mediation within 90-day period under (7) does not require dismissal; court may determine appropriate sanction. Schulz v. Nienhuis, 152 W (2d) 434, 448 NW (2d) 655 (1989).
655.465 Annotation
If a party wishes to reschedule a mediation session for a time outside the 90 day statutory period, that party must obtain a written agreement to do so. Where a respondent requests a rescheduling without providing a mutually agreed upon date within the 90 days and no written agreement is obtained, the mediation period does not terminate until the rescheduled mediation session is completed. Seaquist v. Physicians Ins, Co. 192 W (2d) 530, 531 NW (2d) 437 (Ct. App. 1995).
655.465 Annotation
Completion of mediation within period under (7) isn't jurisdictional prerequisite for maintenance of medical malpractice suit. Bertorello v. St. Joseph's Hosp. of Marshfield, 685 F Supp. 192 (W. D. Wis. 1988).
655.54
655.54
Filing fee. Requests for mediation filed with the director of state courts are subject to a filing fee of $11. The filing fee shall be paid into the mediation fund under
s. 655.68.
655.54 History
History: 1985 a. 340;
1989 a. 187 s.
28.
655.58
655.58
Mediation procedure. 655.58(1)(1)
No record. Mediation shall be conducted without a stenographic record or any other transcript.
655.58(2)
(2) No exams, subpoenas, oaths. No physical examinations or production of records may be ordered, no witnesses may be subpoenaed and no oaths may be administered in mediation, whether by a mediation panel or member thereof or as a result of application to a court by any person.
655.58(3)
(3) No expert witnesses; panel consultants permitted. 655.58(3)(a)(a) Except as provided in
par. (b), no expert witnesses, opinions or reports may be submitted or otherwise used in mediation.
655.58(3)(b)
(b) The mediation panel or any member thereof may consult with any expert, and upon authorization of the director of state courts may compensate the expert from the appropriation under
s. 20.680 (2) (qm).
655.58(4)
(4) Patient records confidential except to parties. All patient health care records in the possession of a mediation panel shall be kept confidential by all members of the mediation panel and all other persons participating in mediation. Every person participating in mediation shall make available to one another and all members of the mediation panel all patient health care records of the patient named in the request for mediation that are in the person's possession.
655.58(5)
(5) Counsel permitted. Any person participating in mediation may be represented by counsel authorized to act for his or her respective client.
655.58 History
History: 1985 a. 340;
1989 a. 187 s.
28.
655.61(1)(1) The mediation fund created under
s. 655.68 shall be financed from fees charged to health care providers. The director of state courts shall, by February 1 annually, determine the revenues needed for the operation of the mediation system during the succeeding fiscal year and inform the board of governors of that amount. The director of state courts shall also inform the board of governors of the number of requests for mediation involving each type of health care provider set out in
s. 655.002 for the most recent fiscal year for which statistics are available. The board of governors shall, by rule, set fees to charge health care providers at a level sufficient to provide the necessary revenue.
655.61(1m)
(1m) Notwithstanding
sub. (1), the board of governors may exempt any type of health care provider set out in
s. 655.002 from payment of the annual fee based on a low number of requests for mediation involving that type of health care provider.
655.61(2)
(2) The annual fees under
sub. (1) shall be collected in a manner prescribed by rule of the commissioner. The commissioner shall pay all money collected under
sub. (1) into the mediation fund created under
s. 655.68.
MEDIATION FUND
655.68(1)(1)
Creation. There is created a mediation fund to pay the administrative expenses of the mediation system created under
subch. VI.
655.68(2)
(2) Administration and operation. Management of the mediation fund is vested with the director of state courts.
655.68(4)
(4) Accounting and financial reports. 655.68(4)(a)(a) Any person authorized to receive deposits, withdraw moneys, issue vouchers or otherwise disburse mediation fund moneys shall post a blanket fidelity bond in an amount reasonably sufficient to protect mediation fund assets. The cost of the bond shall be paid from the mediation fund.
655.68(4)(b)
(b) The state investment board shall invest money held in the mediation fund in short-term, fixed-return, interest-bearing investments. All income derived from these investments returns to the mediation fund.
655.68(4)(c)
(c) On or before March 1 annually, the director of state courts shall submit a report on the operation of the mediation system and on the status of the mediation fund to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under
s. 13.172 (3).
