1. (1) Physician assistants may be "attending providers" pursuant to WAC 296-20-01002, under the workers' compensation system. They may be approved for payment for those medical services for which the physician assistant is trained and licensed, under a collaboration agreement with a licensed physician(s) as defined in RCW 18.71A.010.
2. (2) Physician assistants may perform those medical services that are within the scope of their license and within the limitations of subsection (3) of this section.

3. (3) To be eligible to treat and be paid for workers' compensation related services, the physician assistant must obtain a provider number by:

   1. (a) Providing the department with their license number and effective date of that license;
   2. (b) Providing the name, address, specialty, and active provider number issued by the department of the supervising or collaborating physician(s) on the provider application. A physician assistant may have to obtain more than one provider number if billing under multiple supervising or collaborating physicians; and
   3. (c) Notifying the department of any change of the parameters listed in (a) or (b) of this subsection.

4. (4) Physician assistants may perform the functions of an attending provider when it is within the physician assistant's scope of practice and is consistent with the terms of the physician assistant's collaboration agreement as required by chapter 18.71A RCW. This includes, but is not limited to:

   • Completing and signing the Report of Accident (Workplace Injury, Accident or Occupational Disease) form or the Provider's Initial Report form, where applicable;

   • Certifying time-loss compensation;

   • Completing and submitting all required or requested reports;

   • Referring workers for consultations;

   • Facilitating early return to work offered by and performed for the employer(s) of record; and

   • Doing all that is possible to expedite the vocational process, including making an estimate of the worker's physical or mental capacities that affect the worker's employability.

5. (5) Physician assistants cannot:

   • Rate permanent disability or impairment; and

   • Perform independent medical examinations or consultations.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 51.04.020, 51.04.030, and 51.36.010. WSR 25-11-071, s 296-20-01501, filed 5/20/25, effective 7/1/25. Statutory Authority: 2007 c 263, RCW 51.04.020 and 51.04.030. WSR 08-04-095, § 296-20-01501, filed 2/5/08, effective 2/22/08. Statutory Authority: 2004 c 65 and 2004 c 163. WSR 04-22-085, § 296-20-01501, filed 11/2/04, effective 12/15/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 51.04.020. WSR 03-21-069, § 296-20-01501, filed 10/14/03, effective 12/1/03. Statutory Authority: RCW 51.04.020, 51.04.030 and 1993 c 159. WSR 93-16-072, § 296-20-01501, filed 8/1/93, effective 9/1/93. Statutory Authority: RCW 51.04.020(4), 51.04.030, and 51.16.120(3). WSR 81-24-041 (Order 81-28), § 296-20-01501, filed 11/30/81, effective 1/1/82; WSR 81-01-100 (Order 80-29), § 296-20-01501, filed 12/23/80, effective 3/1/81. Statutory Authority: RCW 51.04.030 and 51.16.035. WSR 79-12-086 (Order 79-18), § 296-20-01501, filed 11/30/79, effective 1/1/80.]