Ohio's rehabilitative-services model offers one path to return-to-work, presenters say

MMRO presented Ohio's rehabilitative-services approach as a possible model for balancing disability benefits with return-to-work supports. Under the Ohio example, members approved under an "own-job" standard can enter a rehabilitative-services pathway that pairs clinical case management and vocational resources for up to five years before conversion to an any-job standard.

Doug Minky described program mechanics: approved members either maintain annual medical follow-up or immediately enter a rehabilitative track with a clinical case manager who coordinates treatment, planned case-management calls, and vocational planning. After a defined period (three years of continued medical treatment or five years including rehabilitative services), the member may be reassessed under a stricter any-job standard. MMRO told the panel that when members convert to an any-job standard after rehabilitative services, roughly 40% are later disapproved under the stricter test—a figure MMRO characterized as a common outcome across jurisdictional variations.

Presenters emphasized the Ohio model's twofold goal: (1) maximize chances for safe return to work in an appropriate role and (2) prepare members for a vocational transition if they cannot return to their original public-safety duties. Work group members asked about funding and whether the rehabilitative services are paid by the pension system; MMRO said they administer clinical case management for the pension system but did not provide full budget details during the meeting.