A new online service from the Washington Department of Labor & Industries will allow customers to opt for electronic delivery of most claims-related mail — a move that could save the agency $1.3 million in the first year alone.

L&I began the project in response to the concerns of health-care providers who were manually opening and processing large volumes of mail. The mail was mostly required copies of letters and legal notices about injured workers’ claims. The new electronic delivery option will reduce mail handling for providers and save millions for the workers’ compensation system.

“Reducing paperwork for health-care providers has been an important goal for L&I,” said L&I Director Joel Sacks. “The easier it is for them to do business with us, the more time and resources they have to care for injured workers and other patients.”

L&I estimates that if it can reduce its claims-related paper mailings by an expected 30 percent in the first year, it will save more than $1.3 million. The annual savings in postage, paper and handling will increase to $2 million if 50 percent of mailings go electronic.

The cost savings for medical providers and employer groups could be even more significant.

Washington law still considers the injured worker, the employer and the health care provider the legal parties to every claim, and a “cc” of every mailing still is required. But the Legislature in 2011 approved L&I’s request that electronic, as well as “paper” correspondence, be permitted. Now any authorized party to a claim may sign up to view, sort and save what they need from an electronic inbox.

Current customers can sign up for the service at the L&I website.