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Committee hears changes to workers’ compensation provider rules and penalties
Summary
Engrossed second substitute SB 58-47 would let injured workers seek care outside L&I’s provider network in more circumstances, prohibit employers from coercing workers to see specific providers, and modify penalties and appeals; advocates said it would improve access, businesses urged caution and asked for fiscal updates.
The Senate Labor and Workplace Standards Committee heard testimony on engrossed second substitute SB 58-47 on Feb. 18, a bill that would change how injured workers access medical care under Washington’s Industrial Insurance Act and alter employer penalties for steering treatment.
Staff summarized key provisions: providers in L&I’s medical-provider network generally must follow L&I coverage decisions and guidelines, but the bill allows a provider to deviate from those decisions "when medically appropriate." It would forbid employers from coercing an injured worker to seek treatment from a specific provider and requires L&I…
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