How to Transfer Your L&I Claim to a New Attending Provider
If you have an open Washington L&I claim and your care has stalled, you can change doctors. RCW 51.36.010 gives injured workers the right to choose their own physician or ARNP from the L&I Medical Provider Network, and WAC 296-20-065 states that no reasonable request to transfer to a network provider will be denied.
Work Well Clinics accepts L&I claim transfers — including claims that other clinics have declined, claims with time-loss running, and claims with an IME or attorney already involved. Dr. John Benedict Abaño becomes your attending provider and takes over the whole claim: treatment, Activity Prescription Forms, employer and claim-manager communication, referrals, and impairment rating when the time comes. New patients are seen at our Seattle or Everett clinic, usually within one week. No referral is needed.
How an L&I claim transfer works
1. Call (425) 458-0054 with your claim number. Tell us who your current attending provider is and whether your claim is with L&I or a self-insured employer.
2. Your first visit. Dr. Abaño examines you, reviews the claim history, and documents the reason for the transfer. That note goes to L&I (or the self-insured employer's claim administrator) as the transfer request. The state's own rule says reasonable transfer requests are approved.
3. Records follow you. Under WAC 296-20-065 your previous provider must send your treatment record and imaging to the new attending provider. We request them so you don't have to.
4. Care continues without a gap. We certify work status, complete the Activity Prescription Form, authorize and coordinate referrals, and keep your claim manager updated — so time-loss and treatment are not interrupted by the change.
Why claims stall — and what changes when you transfer
Most stalled L&I claims are not medical problems; they are paperwork problems. A provider who does not treat L&I patients every day may let Activity Prescription Forms lapse (which interrupts time-loss), leave referrals unauthorized, or never set a return-to-work plan — and the claim drifts.
Occupational medicine is the specialty built for this. At Work Well Clinics your attending provider is a board-certified occupational medicine physician, a Certified Independent Medical Examiner, and a COHE Provider Advisor who advises other physicians on L&I care. Claim transfers, reopened claims, and claims that are months or years old are the cases we are set up for.
L&I claim transfers — frequently asked questions
Can L&I deny my request to change doctors?
Rarely. WAC 296-20-065 says no reasonable request for transfer to a network provider will be denied, and that you must be told when and why if one is. The listed reasons are narrow: a closer provider offering the same treatment, a provider who is not in the network or will not follow L&I rules, no progress toward return to work while time-loss continues, or treatment outside the provider's scope. Transferring to an in-network occupational medicine clinic that treats L&I claims daily meets the standard.
Do I need my current doctor's permission to transfer?
No. You choose your attending provider. Your current provider is required to forward your records and imaging to the new provider; Work Well Clinics requests them on your behalf.
What if my claim is with a self-insured employer?
You have the same right to choose your attending provider. The transfer request goes to the employer's third-party claim administrator instead of L&I. We handle that communication the same way.
Will transferring affect my time-loss benefits?
Not when the handoff is done properly. Time-loss depends on a current Activity Prescription Form and work-status certification from your attending provider. Dr. Abaño completes those at your first visit so there is no gap. If your APF has already lapsed with your previous provider, transferring is usually the fastest way to get it current again.
Ready to transfer your L&I claim?
Call (425) 458-0054 with your claim number, or request an appointment online. Referring provider or attorney? Fax records to (360) 539-1380 or visit our Referring Providers page.