Employers must provide hearing aids for injured workers

Employers must provide hearing aids and other amplification devices needed to treat a work injury. This applies to injured employees who need those devices because of a work injury.

The workers’ compensation court handles disputes about original responsibility for certain benefit claims. This covers listed state and Rhode Island airport corporation employees who qualify for chapter 19 benefits, except sworn state police employees. The court may appoint an impartial medical examiner and can enforce its orders and agreements. This applies to petitions filed on or after July 1, 2025.

The court may hear appeals when a workers’ compensation agreement leaves out injuries caused by or flowing from the original injury. This applies to an injured employee, or a person entitled to compensation after an employee’s death, who is harmed by an error in the agreement. The injured worker or eligible representative must petition the court and provide the additional facts.

Workers must submit expense reimbursement requests no more than once every 30 days, when applicable. This covers injured employees seeking reimbursement for reasonable travel and related rehabilitation expenses. This limit applies to reimbursement requests for expenses under the rehabilitation provision when applicable.