The physicians designated in section 85A.20, upon reference to them by the workers’ compensation commissioner of a claim for occupational disease, shall notify the claimant or claimants and the employer or the employer’s insurance carrier to appear before the physicians at a time and place stated in the notice. If the employee is alive, the employee shall appear before the physicians at the time and place specified to submit to such clinical and x-ray examinations as the physicians may require. The claimant and the employer shall each be entitled, at the claimant’s or employer’s own expense, to have present at all examinations conducted by the physicians, a physician admitted to practice in the state, who shall be given every reasonable opportunity for participating in all examinations. If a physician admitted to practice in the state certifies that the employee is physically unable to appear at the time and place specified, the physicians shall, on notice to the parties, change the time and place of examination to another time and place as may reasonably facilitate the examination of the employee. Proceedings shall be suspended and no compensation shall be payable for any period during which the employee refuses to submit to such examination.