L&I Tries to Refocus Vocational Rehab on Return to Work

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries launched a rulemaking process intended to help shift the focus of vocational rehabilitation services from determining benefit eligibility to returning injured employees to work. The rulemaking is now in a pre-proposal stage, in which informal feedback is being accepted. L&I expects to release a draft rule next month, with public hearings to follow in September. The goal is to have the new rule in place by Jan. 1. Vocational rehabilitation is a discretionary service the department or a self-insured employer may provide to...