Tag Archives: wegotthiswa

Case number chart Nov 2020 - WA Dept. of Health
Coronavirus

COVID-19 Restrictions Tightened in WA

COVID-19 restrictions tightened for the entire state for 4- week period.

On Saturday, Governor Inslee announced a tightening of the restrictions on activities in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The new restrictions take effect on midnight tonight, November 16, 2020, with the exception of those placed on restaurants and bars, which take effect on Wednesday. The restrictions are currently set to expire on December 14th.

CW Remains Fully Operational

Causey Wright has remained open and fully operational in a manner that almost matches the current increased restrictions exactly. We have maintained a low number of essential employees and clients/visitors inside the office, with most employees working from home, since the beginning of the pandemic. We have precautions and procedures in place to ensure the safety of anyone in the office. We will make minor adjustments to our plan to adapt as the COVID-19 restrictions tightened require.

Litigation Events

All scheduled court proceedings before the Board of Industrial Insurance Appeals and the Superior Courts are held via a remote-access. In many cases, our clients have opted to provide their testimony, whether before the judge or through a deposition, from our office. We have computers, web cameras and a strong wifi signal, and your attorney will be in the office, as well, to help with the process and provide full legal services before, during and after the litigation event.

We will coordinate with each client to meet their needs. For some, the ability to participate in their litigation from home is welcome. Others prefer to be in the office. Either way, we can make it work.

The COVID-19 restrictions tightened, but your case has not stopped. If you have concerns about an upcoming proceeding, or if you need assistance with a workers’ compensation claim, please contact us.

Prior Posts on Related Topics
DLI

DLI News: Telehealth Visits

Temporary Telehealth Visits Payment Policy 

To help support containment of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Department of Labor and Industries has issued a new temporary telehealth visits policy. This temporary telehealth policy allows medical providers to use the worker’s home as an origination site in some instances to treat injured workers. This policy is effective 3/9/2020, and expires 7/3/2020. This is an emerging situation, and this policy may be updated as needed.

L&I’s current payment policy and fee schedule already covers phone calls between providers and workers, and telehealth visits when provided at a medical origination site. Please see the DLI Fact Sheet for more details of the current policy: LI Telehealth Fact Sheet AUG 2019.pdf

The new temporary policy will stipulate the following: 

  1. In addition to providing telehealth services under the current payment policy, providers who can normally provide telehealth services using video remote technologies may now bill the following CPT© evaluation and management codes with home as an origination site: 
    1. 99211
    2. 99212
    3. 99213
  2. The documentation requirements will follow the Department payment policy established in Medical Aid Rules and Fee Schedules (MARFS) Chapter 10: Evaluation and Management Services. Under this temporary measure, providers will be required to include a note about the emergency situation (limiting exposure to COVID-19, in this case) that prompted this encounter, as well as noting that the originating site of the worker is home.
  3. Providers are encouraged to implement their clinic’s emergency response plan.

On July 3, 2020, the temporary L&I emergency telehealth policy is scheduled to end, unless the Department decides an extension is needed. This is an emerging situation, and this policy may be updated as needed.

Policy Does Not Provide Equipment to Workers

Additionally, the temporary policy will state that L&I will not provide the worker with or reimburse the worker for equipment. If a worker doesn’t have access to high-speed internet via computer or a camera phone with reliable connectivity, the provider must work with the worker to identify an alternative.

Instructions to Claims Managers re: Time Loss Payments

Claims Administration has decided to instruct claim managers not to automatically stop time loss benefits if the restrictions on an APF expire because the worker was unable to be seen in person due to COVID-19 precautions. Claim managers will be advised to assess each case and staff with their supervisor and/or ONC to decide how best to manage the claim during the period of the forthcoming temporary policy.

Questions on the payment policy after it’s published? Contact us at HPPM@Lni.wa.gov.  

If you have questions or concerns about your claim, feel free to contact our firm for assistance. We provide a free case analysis and would be happy to discuss your circumstances with you.

Prior Post with Related Content

CONTACT AN ATTORNEY EARLY IN YOUR CASE FOR THE BEST CHANCE AT A FAIR OUTCOME