Workers’ Comp. 101: R.I. Employer-Provided Medical Services

Providence, RI (WorkersCompensation.com) -- In Rhode Island, subject the choice of the employee, an employer must "promptly" provide for an injured employee any reasonable medical, surgical, dental, optical, or other attendance or treatment, nurse and hospital service, medicines, crutches, and apparatus for such period as is necessary, in order to cure, rehabilitate, or relieve the employee from the effects of the employee’s injury. 

Liability

Irrespective of the date of injury, the liability of the employer for hospital service rendered to the injured employee shall be the cost to the hospital of rendering the service at the time the service is rendered.

Cost

The director, after consultations with representatives of hospitals, employers, and insurance companies, shall establish administrative procedures regarding the furnishing and filing of data and the time and method of billing and may accept as representing the costs for both routine and special services to patients, costs as computed for the federal Medicare program.

Each hospital that renders services to injured employees under the workers’ compensation act shall submit and certify to the director, in accordance with requirements of the administrative procedures established by the director, its costs for those services.

Appliances, Apparatus

An employer shall also provide all medical, optical, dental, and surgical appliances and apparatus required to cure or relieve the employee from the effects of the injury, including, but not limited to, the following:
--> Ambulance and nursing service.
--> Eyeglasses.
--> Dentures.
--> Braces and supports.
--> Artificial limbs, crutches, and other similar appliances

Not Hearing Devices

An employer shall not be liable to pay for or provide hearing aids or other amplification devices.

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