S-0765.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 5487
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 52nd Legislature 1991 Regular Session
By Senators McMullen, Talmadge, A. Smith, Moore, Vognild, Madsen, Bauer, Rinehart, Sutherland, Conner and L. Smith.
Read first time February 4, 1991. Referred to Committee on Commerce & Labor.
AN ACT Relating to payments for time lost from work while attending a medical examination for industrial insurance; and amending RCW 51.32.110.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 51.32.110 and 1980 c 14 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) Any worker entitled to receive any benefits or claiming such under this title shall, if requested by the department or self-insurer, submit himself or herself for medical examination, at a time and from time to time, at a place reasonably convenient for the worker and as may be provided by the rules of the department.
(2) If the worker refuses to submit to medical examination, or obstructs the same, or, if any injured worker shall persist in unsanitary or injurious practices which tend to imperil or retard his or her recovery, or shall refuse to submit to such medical or surgical treatment as is reasonably essential to his or her recovery or refuse or obstruct evaluation or examination for the purpose of vocational rehabilitation or does not cooperate in reasonable efforts at such rehabilitation, the department or the self-insurer upon approval by the department, with notice to the worker may suspend any further action on any claim of such worker so long as such refusal, obstruction, noncooperation, or practice continues and reduce, suspend, or deny any compensation for such period: PROVIDED, That the department or the self-insurer shall not suspend any further action on any claim of a worker or reduce, suspend, or deny any compensation if a worker has good cause for refusing to submit to or to obstruct any examination, evaluation, treatment or practice requested by the department or required under this section.
(3)
If the worker necessarily incurs traveling expenses in attending ((for))
the examination pursuant to the request of the department, such
traveling expenses shall be repaid to him or her out of the accident fund upon
proper voucher and audit or shall be repaid by the self-insurer, as the case
may be.
(4)
If the medical examination required by this section causes the worker to be
absent from his or her work without pay ((he or she shall be paid for such
time lost in accordance with the schedule of payments provided in RCW 51.32.090
as amended)):
(a) In the case of a worker insured by the department, the worker shall be paid compensation out of the accident fund in an amount equal to his or her usual wages for the time lost from work while attending the medical examination; or
(b) In the case of a worker of a self-insurer, the self-insurer shall pay the worker an amount equal to his or her usual wages for the time lost from work while attending the medical examination.