S-3870               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5015

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Vognild, Newhouse and Warnke

Read first time 1/24/86 and referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.

AN ACT Relating to medical aid to injured workers; and amending RCW 51.36.010.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 51.36.010, chapter 23, Laws of 1961 as last amended by section 56, chapter 350, Laws of 1977 ex. sess. and RCW 51.36.010 are each amended to read as follows:

          Upon the occurrence of any injury to a worker entitled to compensation under the provisions of this title, he or she shall receive proper and necessary medical and surgical services at the hands of a physician of his or her own choice, if conveniently located, and proper and necessary hospital care and services during the period of his or her disability from such injury, but the same shall be limited in point of duration as follows:

          In the case of permanent partial disability, not to extend beyond the date when compensation shall be awarded him or her, except when the worker returned to work before permanent partial disability award is made, in such case not to extend beyond the time when monthly allowances to him or her shall cease; in case of temporary disability not to extend beyond the time when monthly allowances to him or her shall cease:  PROVIDED, That after any injured worker has returned to his or her work his or her medical and surgical treatment may be continued if, and so long as, such continuation is deemed necessary by the supervisor of industrial insurance to be necessary to his or her more complete recovery; in case of a permanent total disability not to extend beyond the date on which a lump sum settlement is made with him or her or he or she is placed upon the permanent pension roll:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the supervisor of industrial insurance, solely in his or her discretion, may authorize continued medical and surgical treatment for conditions previously accepted by the department when such medical and surgical treatment is deemed necessary by the supervisor of industrial insurance to protect such worker's life or provide for the administration of medical and therapeutic measures including payment of prescription medications, but not including those controlled substances currently scheduled by the state board of pharmacy as Schedule I, II, III, or IV substances under chapter 69.50 RCW, which are necessary to alleviate continuing pain which results from the industrial injury.  In order to authorize such continued treatment the written order of the supervisor of industrial insurance issued in advance of the continuation shall be necessary.

The supervisor of industrial insurance, in the supervisor's sole discretion, may authorize innoculation or other immunological treatment in cases in which a work-related activity has resulted in probable exposure of the worker to infection.