Your L&I Claim Is Months Old and No One Will See You? We Will.
It is one of the most common calls we get: an injured worker with an open Washington L&I claim that is six months, a year, or several years old, whose provider has stopped treating L&I patients, moved, or simply never managed the claim — and every clinic they call says no.
Work Well Clinics accepts open L&I claims of any age. Claims with time-loss running, claims with an Independent Medical Exam scheduled or completed, claims with a vocational counselor or attorney involved, and claims that have changed providers before. Dr. John Benedict Abaño — board-certified in occupational medicine, a Certified Independent Medical Examiner, and a COHE Provider Advisor — becomes your attending provider and manages the claim from where it stands today. New patients are seen at our Seattle or Everett clinic, usually within one week.
Why older claims get turned away
An older claim carries a thick file and real responsibility. The attending provider certifies work status that time-loss depends on, responds to IME findings, sets and defends work restrictions, coordinates with the claim manager and vocational counselor, and eventually rates permanent impairment. Clinics that see L&I patients occasionally often decide the paperwork risk is not worth it — and the worker is left without a doctor while benefits and treatment authorizations lapse.
Occupational medicine is the specialty that exists for exactly this work. It is what we do all day, on every claim.
What happens at your first visit
We review the claim history and any IME or vocational reports, examine you, and document your current condition and objective findings. We complete a current Activity Prescription Form and work-status certification so time-loss is not interrupted, authorize or re-request needed referrals, and write a return-to-work plan that your employer, claim manager, and — if you have one — attorney can all work from. Then we manage the claim to closure: treatment, restrictions, and impairment rating when you reach maximum medical improvement.
If your claim has already closed, the path is different — see reopening a closed L&I claim. If it is open and you simply need a new attending provider, see how an L&I claim transfer works.
Older L&I claims — frequently asked questions
Does it matter how old my claim is?
Not for us. If the claim is open, we can become your attending provider regardless of when it was filed. If it has been closed, you may be able to reopen it within seven years of closure for full benefits, or for medical care at any time — we do reopening exams as well.
I have an IME scheduled. Should I still transfer?
Yes. Your attending provider's documentation is what L&I weighs against the IME. A current exam with objective findings, clear restrictions, and a treatment plan matters most right before and after an IME. We review IME reports and respond with findings, not opinions.
I have an attorney. Will you work with them?
Yes. We work with workers' compensation attorneys routinely — records, work-status documentation, impairment ratings, and testimony when required. Attorneys can refer directly through our Referring Providers page.
I have been on time-loss for a year. Will you continue it?
We certify time-loss when the examination supports it, and we document the restrictions that justify it. Expect an honest assessment and a return-to-work plan — that is what L&I expects from an attending provider, and it is what keeps a long-running claim from being closed against you.
Have an L&I claim no one will take?
Call (425) 458-0054 with your claim number, or request an appointment online. Referring providers and attorneys: fax (360) 539-1380.