§ 28-33-5. Medical services provided by employer.
The employer shall, subject to the choice of the employee as provided in § 28-33-8, 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; provided, that no fee for major surgery shall be paid unless permission for it is first obtained from the workers’ compensation court, the employer, or the insurance carrier involved, except where compliance with it may prove fatal or detrimental to the employee. Irrespective of the date of injury, the liability of the employer for hospital service rendered under this section to the injured employee shall be the cost to the hospital of rendering the service at the time the service is rendered. 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 licensed under chapter 17 of title 23 that renders services to injured employees under the workers’ compensation act, chapters 29 — 38 of this title, shall submit and certify to the director, in accordance with requirements of the administrative procedures established by him or her, its costs for those services. The 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; provided, that the employer shall not be liable to pay for or provide hearing aids or other amplification devices.
History of Section.P.L. 1912, ch. 831, art. 6, § 5; P.L. 1915, ch. 1268, § 1; G.L. 1923, ch. 92, art. 6, § 5; G.L. 1938, ch. 300, art. 6, § 5; P.L. 1954, ch. 3297, § 1; G.L. 1956, § 28-32-5; P.L. 1985, ch. 365, § 6; P.L. 1986, ch. 507, § 7; P.L. 1990, ch. 332, art. 1, § 3; P.L. 2001, ch. 256, § 4; P.L. 2001, ch. 355, § 4; P.L. 2013, ch. 445, § 1; P.L. 2013, ch. 475, § 1; P.L. 2022, ch. 234, art. 1, § 15, effective December 31, 2022.
Structure Rhode Island General Laws
Title 28 - Labor and Labor Relations
Chapter 28-33 - Workers’ Compensation — Benefits
Section 28-33-1. - Employees entitled to compensation.
Section 28-33-1.1. - [Repealed.]
Section 28-33-2. - Injuries occasioned by willful intent or intoxication.
Section 28-33-2.1. - Injuries occasioned by employer-sponsored social or athletic activities.
Section 28-33-3. - [Repealed.]
Section 28-33-4. - Commencement of compensation.
Section 28-33-5. - Medical services provided by employer.
Section 28-33-6. - Failure to provide or accept medical services.
Section 28-33-7. - Health service provider reimbursement.
Section 28-33-8.1. - Managed care programs.
Section 28-33-9. - Order declaring employer liable for medical services.
Section 28-33-10. - “Dental, hospital, and medical services” defined.
Section 28-33-11. - Notice of hearings — Time of decision.
Section 28-33-12. - Death benefits payable to dependents.
Section 28-33-13. - Persons presumed wholly dependent.
Section 28-33-14. - Determination of dependency — Division of payments among dependents.
Section 28-33-15. - Relationship and dependency required.
Section 28-33-16. - Burial expenses.
Section 28-33-17.1. - Employees not entitled to compensation.
Section 28-33-17.3. - Fraud and abuse.
Section 28-33-18. - Weekly compensation for partial incapacity.
Section 28-33-18.1. - Employees not entitled to compensation for total incapacity.
Section 28-33-18.2. - Suitable alternative employment.
Section 28-33-18.3. - Continuation of benefits — Partial incapacity.
Section 28-33-19. - Additional compensation for specific injuries.
Section 28-33-20. - Computation of earnings.
Section 28-33-21. - Savings or other insurance not to be considered.
Section 28-33-22. - Minors employed in violation of law.
Section 28-33-23. - Persons to whom compensation payable in event of death.
Section 28-33-24. - Cessation of payments on death of employee.
Section 28-33-25. - Settlement for lump sum or structured-type payment.
Section 28-33-25.1. - Settlement of disputed cases.
Section 28-33-26. - Waivers of compensation void.
Section 28-33-27. - Immunity of claims from assignment or liability for debt.
Section 28-33-28. - Priority of claim over debts of employer.
Section 28-33-29. - Exercise of rights or privileges by guardian, conservator, or next friend.
Section 28-33-30. - Time for notice of injury to employer.
Section 28-33-31. - Contents of notice to employer.
Section 28-33-32. - Manner of serving notice.
Section 28-33-33. - Inaccuracies in notice — Want of notice as defense.
Section 28-33-34. - Physical examination by employer’s physician — Report.
Section 28-33-34.1. - Schedule of medical review.
Section 28-33-35. - Appointment of impartial medical examiner.
Section 28-33-36. - Payment of medical examiner’s fees.
Section 28-33-37. - Examination by impartial examiner — Reports.
Section 28-33-38. - Refusal to submit to examination.
Section 28-33-39. - Transportation costs for medical examination.
Section 28-33-40. - [Repealed.]
Section 28-33-41. - Rehabilitation of injured persons.
Section 28-33-41.1. - Review of rehabilitative program upon request or petition by employer.
Section 28-33-42. - [Repealed.]
Section 28-33-43. - Employer liability for property damage.
Section 28-33-44. - Continuation of health insurance benefits.
Section 28-33-45. - Coordination of benefits — Retirement benefits.