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SB 522

Workers' Compensation - Evaluation of Permanent Impairments - Licensed Social Worker-Clinical

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Mary Washington

Maryland bill expands workers' comp permanent impairment evaluations to include licensed clinical social workers alongside physicians, potentially widening access but raising medical standardization concerns.

First Reading Finance
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Bill Summary · SB 522

Legislative bill overview

SB 522 would expand Maryland's workers' compensation system to allow licensed clinical social workers to evaluate and assess permanent impairments in injured workers, a role traditionally limited to physicians. The bill modifies the criteria for who can conduct these medical evaluations that determine workers' compensation benefits and disability ratings.

Why is this important

Permanent impairment evaluations directly determine the financial compensation injured workers receive—often involving thousands of dollars in benefits. This change could increase access to evaluations, potentially reduce wait times for workers seeking benefits, but also raises questions about consistency and standardization of medical assessments across different professional disciplines.

Potential points of contention

  • Scope of practice concerns: Physicians and medical organizations may argue that clinical social workers lack the medical training to accurately assess physical impairments, despite their mental health expertise
  • Standardization and consistency: Questions about whether non-physician evaluators would apply uniform standards, potentially creating disparities in benefit awards across the state
  • Cost implications: Unclear whether using social workers would reduce evaluation costs or create duplicate assessment requirements, affecting both employers and the workers' compensation system budget

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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