KANSAS OFFICE of
  REVISOR of STATUTES

  

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44-510g. Vocational rehabilitation, agreement of employer or insurance carrier; vocational rehabilitation administrator and assistants; qualified service providers, referrals. (a) A primary purpose of the workers compensation act shall be to restore the injured employee to work at a comparable wage. To this end, the director shall appoint, subject to the approval of the secretary, a specialist in vocational rehabilitation, who shall be referred to as the vocational rehabilitation administrator. No vocational assessment, evaluation, services or training shall be provided or made available under the workers compensation act unless specifically agreed to by the employer or insurance carrier providing or making available such assessment, evaluation, services or training. Upon such agreement, the vocational rehabilitation administrator may make recommendations for and supervise such assessment, evaluation, services or training on behalf of the employee and such assessment, evaluation, services or training shall not be arbitrarily terminated by the employer or insurance carrier once such agreement is entered into by the employer or insurance carrier. Nothing in this section shall prohibit the employee from obtaining such assessment, evaluation, services or training at the employee's expense from any provider or through any other public or private funding or agency. The director may appoint, subject to the approval of the secretary, assistant vocational rehabilitation administrators. The vocational rehabilitation administrator and the assistant vocational rehabilitation administrators shall be in the classified service under the Kansas civil service act. The vocational rehabilitation administrator and the assistant vocational rehabilitation administrators, subject to the direction of the vocational rehabilitation administrator, shall: (1) Continuously study the problems of vocational rehabilitation; (2) investigate and maintain a directory of all vocational rehabilitation facilities, public or private, in this state, and, where the vocational rehabilitation administrator determines necessary, in any other state; and (3) be fully knowledgeable regarding the eligibility requirements of all state, federal and other public vocational rehabilitation facilities and benefits.

(b) The director shall approve as qualified such individuals, facilities, institutions, agencies and employer programs as the director finds are capable of rendering competent vocational rehabilitation services and which are referred to in this section as "providers." The director shall continuously monitor the quality and timeliness of the services of providers found qualified by the director to provide vocational rehabilitation services. No such provider shall be approved as qualified unless the provider is equipped with such physical facilities as the director deems necessary and is staffed with personnel specifically trained and qualified, as the director deems necessary, to provide vocational rehabilitation services.

If the employer or the employer's insurance carrier do not agree to provide vocational rehabilitation services, the employee may request the vocational rehabilitation administrator to refer the employee to an appropriate provider for vocational rehabilitation services to be provided at the employee's expense. Referrals for vocational rehabilitation services shall not be made to a provider in which the employer, the employer's insurance carrier or the claims adjusting company handling the claim has a demonstrable financial interest, unless a full, written disclosure of the demonstrable financial interest has been submitted in writing by the provider to the employer, the employer's insurance carrier, any claims adjusting company handling the claim, the employee and the vocational rehabilitation administrator. Medical management or medical monitoring services shall not be considered to be providing vocational rehabilitation services and the costs thereof shall not be considered as the payment of workers compensation benefits nor medical benefits.

History: L. 1974, ch. 203, § 17; L. 1976, ch. 370, § 19; L. 1980, ch. 146, § 2; L. 1986, ch. 318, § 54; L. 1987, ch. 189, § 1; L. 1989, ch. 149, § 1; L. 1990, ch. 185, § 1; L. 1990, ch. 183, § 4; L. 1991, ch. 144, § 4; L. 1993, ch. 286, § 36; July 1.

Revisor's Note:

1986 amendments appear to contain no substantive change.

Cross References to Related Sections:

Rehabilitation program for handicapped adults, see 39-1201 et seq.

Division of vocational rehabilitation, department of social and rehabilitation services, see 72-4308 et seq.

Law Review and Bar Journal References:

"Potential Federalization of State Workmen's Compensation Law—The Kansas Response," James C. Wright and James P. Rankin, 15 W.L.J. 244, 260, 261, 262 (1976).

"Workmen's Compensation—An Introduction to Changes in the Kansas Statute," Bryce B. Moore, 24 K.L.R. 603, 605, 606 (1976).

"Workmen's Compensation—Major Changes in Employments Covered, Benefits, Defenses, Offsets, and Other Changes," Alvin D. Herrington, 24 K.L.R. 611, 618 (1976).

"Workmen's Compensation—Rehabilitation Benefits," Vivien Hanna, 24 K.L.R. 649, 650, 651, 652, 653 (1976).

"Disability Test Following Successful Rehabilitation," Gary L. Jordan, 4 J.K.T.L.A. No. 4, 26 (1981).

"Analysis of Bill Drafted by Interim Committee on 1984 Labor and Industry," Gary L. Jordan, Vol. VIII, No. 3, J.K.T.L.A. 11 (1984).

"Workers' Compensation—A Salute to the Trial Lawyers of Kansas," Gary L. Jordan, 10 J.K.T.L.A. No. 6, 9, 11 (1987).

"Workers' Compensation: A New Era," Tom Hammond, 11 J.K.T.L.A. No. 2, 6, 7 (1987).

"Maximizing for your Clients the Benefits of the New Kansas Vocational Rehabilitation Act," Kelly Johnston, 11 J.K.T.L.A. No. 6, p. 6 (1988).

"Analysis of Vocational Rehabilitation Issues Under the Kansas Worker's Compensation Act for the House Committee on Labor & Industry," Tom E. Hammond, 12 J.K.T.L.A. No. 4, p. 7 (1989).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, XIV J.K.T.L.A. No. 2, Review p. 3 (1990).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, XIV J.K.T.L.A. No. 4, Review p. 2 (1991).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XIV, No. 6, Review p. 4 (1991).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XV, No. 1, Review p. 3 (1991).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XV, No. 3, Review p. 2 (1992).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XV, No. 5, Review p. 4 (1992).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XVI, No. 3, Special Section 1, 1, 2 (1993).

"Workers' Compensation Review," Patrick Nichols, J.K.T.L.A. Vol. XVIII, No. 5, Work. Comp. Review Section, 1, 6, 7 (1995).

"Workers Compensation Law: Constitutionality of the 1993 Kansas Workers Compensation Act," Nicole M. Zomberg, 37 W.L.J. 829 (1998).

"Workers Compensation Review," Joseph Seiwert, Editor, J.K.A.J. Vol. 33, No. 2, 15 (2009).

CASE ANNOTATIONS

1. Award of partial disability following rehabilitation program must reflect extent worker's ability to perform work of same type and character being done when injured has been reduced, as provided in K.S.A. 44-510e. Antwi v. C-E Industrial Group, 5 Kan. App. 2d 53, 57, 58, 59, 61, 612 P.2d 656.

2. Absent express statutory authority, administrative agency cannot award compensatory or punitive damages. Woods v. Midwest Conveyor Co., 231 Kan. 763, 773, 648 P.2d 234 (1982).

3. Compensation received hereunder is included in computing total compensation due under K.S.A. 44-510d. Cowan v. Josten's American Yearbook Co., 8 Kan. App. 2d 423, 424, 425, 427, 660 P.2d 78 (1983).

4. An appeal hereunder may, during first 26 weeks, be made under K.S.A. 44-556; award for equipment not authorized under statute. Clintsman v. St. Joseph Hosp. of Concordia, 11 Kan. App. 2d 199, 202, 203, 717 P.2d 1074 (1986).

5. Cited; effect of prior 100% permanent partial disability rating on second injury claim examined. Baxter v. L.T. Walls Constr. Co., 241 Kan. 588, 593, 738 P.2d 445 (1987).

6. Rehabilitative training costs not set off against compensation award; worker may not unilaterally pursue training at respondent's expense. Murdock v. MBPXL Corp., 12 Kan. App. 2d 312, 318, 319, 742 P.2d 441 (1987).

7. Reasons for amendments effective July 1, 1987, stated; test to determine permanent partial general disability (K.S.A. 44-510e) examined. Hughes v. Inland Container Corp., 247 Kan. 407, 416, 789 P.2d 1011 (1990).

8. Claimant not required to request vocational rehabilitation as a prerequisite to obtaining benefits under K.S.A. 44-510e. Williams v. Beech Aircraft Corp., 15 Kan. App. 2d 685, 688, 815 P.2d 1113 (1991).

9. Claimant not required to request evaluation before obtaining benefits; voluntary retirement as not affecting permanent partial general disability benefits noted. Brown v. City of Wichita, 17 Kan. App. 2d 72, 77, 832 P.2d 365 (1992).

10. Noted in discussion of K.S.A. 44-534a to determine when demand for payment of preliminary hearing award can be made. Stout v. Stixon Petroleum, 17 Kan. App. 2d 195, 199, 836 P.2d 1185 (1992).


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