RFA (Rehabilitation Request for Assistance)

A Rehabilitation Request for Assistance is how rehab disputes get a referee. When the disagreement is about rehabilitation (the plan’s goal, the QRC’s conduct, a proposed closure, denied services, or the insurer refusing a rehabilitation consultation in the first place), an RFA filed with DLI triggers an administrative conference process to resolve it.

The process is designed to be usable without a lawyer: the form asks what the dispute is and what you want, DLI schedules a conference, and a decision issues. Either side can appeal onward, but many rehab disputes end at the conference.

Timing matters more than polish. Several rehab rights (QRC changes, closure objections) have short windows, and an RFA filed inside the window preserves rights that lapse outside it. If a rehab dispute also touches wage-loss benefits (they usually do), note that Heaton fees can make attorney help free in rehabilitation disputes.