What an R-8 Rehabilitation Plan Closure Means in Minnesota

The R-8 is the Notice of Rehabilitation Plan Closure, the form that documents the QRC closing your rehabilitation file. It doesn't automatically end your workers' comp benefits, but it can end rehab services, and the story it tells often becomes evidence in wage-loss and retraining disputes later. It's a boring-looking form that can matter a lot.

Samples are not published on this site right now. If you received an R-8, ask for the full packet and the stated basis for closure.

When a QRC is allowed to close rehab

Minnesota rehab rules list the circumstances where a plan may be closed. (See Minn. R. 5220.0510.) The common reasons are:

• you returned to suitable gainful employment,
• you no longer need rehab services,
• your medical restrictions resolved,
• you are not participating or cooperating with the plan,
• or other rule-based grounds.

Why the timing matters

The rules also include timing about when a Notice of Rehabilitation Plan Closure must be filed after certain events. (Minn. R. 5220.0510.) The official closure date can become a disputed fact later, and it shapes the narrative around what happened and when.

Is the closure fair?

Three questions cut to it.

First, are you actually back at suitable work? If the closure rests on a return to work, look at whether the job fits your restrictions, whether it's stable, and whether it's "make-work" that will disappear once the file closes.

Second, did the rehab services actually happen? Compare what the R-2 plan and any R-3 amendments said would happen with what actually did. If the plan promised job development and job placement and you got neither, that's important.

Third, is "noncooperation" being used as a weapon? That language tends to show up when the worker is frustrated, communication has broken down, or the insurer wants closure. The defense is not yelling. The defense is documentation: your emails asking for help, proof you attended meetings, proof you complied with reasonable requests, and your job-search logs if a job search was required.

What to do right away if you disagree

Request the rehab file. Ask for copies of the R-2 plan, all R-3 amendments, the progress reports, the communications, and the stated basis for closure.

Get your restrictions and work status in writing. Have your most recent restrictions documented, and note if they changed recently; that can matter.

If a job search was expected, preserve your proof. Keep your log and screenshots. A job-search log template is available on this site.

Then consider filing a rehab dispute. Many closure disputes are raised through a Rehabilitation Request for Assistance. The rehab disputes guide explains how that process works.

Don't ignore the R-8

If you do nothing, the closure story becomes the default story. If that story is inaccurate ("worker refused help," "worker declined work," "worker stopped searching"), fix it early, while the record is fresh.