L&I Adopts Rule Barring Reimbursement for Lumbar Fusion for Back Pain

The Washington state Department of Labor & Industries has adopted a final rule that bars reimbursement for lumbar fusion to treat low back pain, following the lead of a state committee that reviews the effectiveness of medical procedures. According to a notice in the Saturday edition of the Washington State Register, L&I is repealing sections 296-20-12055, 12060, 12065, 12070, 12075, 12080, 12085, 12090 and 12095 of the Washington Administrative Code. Those regulations had created a process through which a claimant could obtain reimbursement for lumbar fusion surgery to relieve low ba...