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A new bill sponsored by state Rep. Peter Abbarno, R-Chehalis, would allow workers injured on the job to record independent medical examinations.
Abbarno pre-filed House Bill 2336, which would use a third-party app approved by state agencies to record independent medical examinations. According to the representative, the goal is to improve the reliability of independent medical examinations and cut down on disputes between employees and employers.
“Independent medical exams can play a critical role in a worker's claim, but too often the process becomes a point of conflict instead of clarity,” Abbarno said in a recent news release. "My bill is about fairness and transparency. When everyone is working from the same accurate record, we reduce disputes, protect patient privacy, and help claims move forward efficiently."
According to the 20th District lawmaker, the bill would create a new app for recording that would be approved by the Washington state Department of Labor and Industries. His intention is that the app would record what is necessary and then store the information securely without threat of tampering from an outside source employee or employer.
Abbarno is the primary sponsor of the bill and is also a secondary sponsor of another bill, House Bill 2218, which he says is meant to work in tandem with his own piece of proposed legislation. The partner bill is meant to protect an employee's choice of medical provider and would prevent employers from compelling employees to seek treatment from a specific provider or at a certain clinic.
“These bills are meant to work together,” Abbarno added. “HB 2218 focuses on access to care, while HB 2336 ensures the medical evaluation process itself is fair, transparent and trusted. When the system works better, workers get care sooner, providers can focus on treatment, and employers benefit from faster, more reliable outcomes.”
Both bills supported by Abbarno were introduced on the House floor on the first day of session on Monday, Jan. 12, and referred to the House Committee on Labor and Workplace Standards. House Bill 2218, which has a long list of bipartisan sponsors, received a committee hearing at the end of the week and is set to receive a vote to advance out of committee sometime next week.
House Bill 2336 has yet to be scheduled for a hearing but has nearly three weeks to be scheduled for a hearing before the cutoff that would prevent it from moving forward this session.
