AN ACT Relating to including physical and occupational therapists as attending providers for workers' compensation;
SB 6152 amends Washington workers’ compensation law to add physical therapists and occupational therapists to the list of “attending providers” who may treat injured workers and certify claims. The bill updates multiple workers’ compensation provisions so that these therapists are treated similarly to other authorized providers, such as physicians, chiropractors, naturopaths, podiatrists, optometrists, dentists, advanced registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and psychologists in mental-health-only claims. It also updates notice and claim-processing language so workers are informed of their right to receive care from a provider of their choice within the workers’ compensation system.
Beyond expanding provider eligibility, the bill makes broader changes to the delivery of workers’ compensation medical care. It directs the Department of Labor and Industries to establish minimum standards for providers, create and manage a health care provider network, and develop a second tier of providers based on demonstrated use of occupational health best practices. It also expands and formalizes “centers for occupational health and education,” with goals of improving evidence-based care, reducing disability, and lowering costs through better coordination, quality benchmarks, and incentives for providers who meet performance standards.
The bill would change state workers’ compensation statutes by expressly including physical therapists and occupational therapists among authorized attending providers and by revising related claim, notice, and treatment provisions to reflect that expansion. It would also strengthen the Department of Labor and Industries’ authority over provider networks, credentialing, utilization review, quality standards, and removal of providers who do not meet minimum requirements. Employers, self-insurers, injured workers, and health care providers would all be affected by the new provider eligibility rules and the more structured care-delivery system.
The available voting record suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the bill: the Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce recommended do pass on a 5-1 vote. The bill’s stated purpose and findings emphasize improving access to high-quality, evidence-based treatment for injured workers, preventing disability, and lowering costs for employers and workers. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader opposition or support beyond the committee vote.
The main policy tension appears to be between expanding access to care and increasing administrative oversight of providers. Support for the bill is grounded in the idea that injured workers should have more treatment options, including physical and occupational therapy, and that evidence-based care can improve outcomes. Potential points of contention include the Department of Labor and Industries’ expanded authority to set standards, certify and decertify providers, impose network participation requirements, and limit reimbursement for non-network care. The bill also creates a more managed system with quality benchmarks and removal criteria, which could raise concerns among providers about access, autonomy, and administrative burden.