Quick Hit: Wash. Physician Assistant Signatures

Seattle, WA (WorkersCompensation.com) -- What kind of documentation does the State of Washington require when a physician assistant signs off on treatment of an injured worker?

Here's what Washington wants from a physician assistant:

The department shall accept the signature of a physician assistant on any certificate, card, form, or other documentation required by the department that the physician assistant's supervising physician or physicians may sign, provided that it is within the physician assistant's scope of practice, and is consistent with the terms of the physician assistant's practice agreement.

The authority of a physician assistant to sign such certificates, cards, forms, or other documentation includes, but is not limited to, the execution of the certificate required in RCW 51.28.020.

A physician assistant may not rate a worker's permanent partial disability.

Workers' Comp 101: What does RCW 51.28.020 cover? Applications for workers' compensation, as follows
Where a worker is entitled to compensation, she shall file with the department or her self-insured employer, as the case may be, her application for such, together with the certificate of the physician or licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner who attended her. An application form developed by the department shall include a notice specifying the worker's right to receive health services from a physician or licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner of the worker's choice, including chiropractic services under, and listing the types of providers authorized to provide these services.
The physician or licensed advanced registered nurse practitioner who attended the injured worker shall inform the injured worker of her rights and lend all necessary assistance in making this application for compensation and such proof of other matters as required by the rules of the department without charge to the worker. The department shall provide physicians with a manual which outlines the procedures to be followed in applications for compensation involving occupational diseases, and which describes claimants' rights and responsibilities related to occupational disease claims.
If the application is:
(a) Filed on behalf of the worker by the physician who attended the worker, the physician may transmit the application to the department electronically using facsimile mail;
(b) Made to the department and the employer has not received a copy of the application, the department shall immediately send a copy of the application to the employer; or
(c) Made to a self-insured employer, the employer shall forthwith send a copy of the application to the department.

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