HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 157

BYRepresentatives R. King,  Wang, Cole, Patrick, Sayan, Lux, McMullen and Ballard

Eliminating department discretion in authorizing release of relevant medical information concerning industrial insurance claimants.

House Committe on Commerce & Labor

Majority Report:     Do pass with amendment.  (10)

     Signed by Representatives Wang, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fisch, Fisher, R. King, Patrick, Sanders, Sayan, C. Smith and Walker.

House Staff:Chris Cordes (786-7117)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 12, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Under Washington industrial insurance law, any medical information that, in the opinion of the Department of Labor and Industries, is relevant to a worker's job-related injury or occupational disease may be released to the employer, claimant's representative or the department upon request.

SUMMARY:

The provision is deleted that gives the Department of Labor and Industries discretion to determine what medical information is relevant to the worker's particular injury when the information is to be released in an industrial insurance claim.  No information that is released may be used for any purpose other than the industrial insurance proceedings.

Fiscal Note:    Not Requested.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Melanie Stewart-Gerla and Marlin Sandig, Washington Self-Insurers Association; and Joe Dear and Doug Connell, Department of Labor and Industries.

House Committee - Testified Against: Larry Kenney, Washington State Labor Council; and Rick Brock, Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers.

House Committee - Testimony For:     The bill codifies the present practice of self-insurers in requesting medical information.

House Committee - Testimony Against: Self-insurers should not be granted expanded authority until the study that was required by the legislature in 1986 is completed.