PDFWAC 388-447-0060
Progressive evaluation process step IV—How does the department determine the severity of multiple impairments?
(1) If you have more than one impairment, we determine the overall severity rating by deciding if your impairments have a combined effect on your ability to be gainfully employed.
(2) When you have two or more diagnosed impairments that limit work activities, we assign an overall severity rating as follows:
Condition | Severity Rating | ||
(a) | All impairments are mild and there is no cumulative effect on basic work activities. | Mild | 2 |
(b) | All impairments are mild and there is a significant cumulative effect on one or more basic work activities. | Moderate | 3 |
(c) | Two or more impairments are of moderate severity and there is a very significant cumulative effect on basic work activities. | Marked | 4 |
(d) | Two or more impairments are of marked severity. | Severe | 5 |
(3) We deny incapacity at this step when the overall severity rating is two.
(4) We approve incapacity at this step when the overall severity rating is five.
[Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.050, 74.040.055 [74.04.055], 74.04.057, 74.08.090, and 2018 c 48. WSR 18-18-007, § 388-447-0060, filed 8/23/18, effective 9/23/18. Statutory Authority: RCW 74.04.005, 74.04.050, 74.04.055, 74.04.057, 74.08.090, 74.08A.100, 74.04.770, 74.08.025, 74.62.030, and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 10. WSR 13-24-044, § 388-447-0060, filed 11/26/13, effective 1/1/14.]