In the event a claimant sustains an injury or occupational disease or dies as a result of any injury or disease received in the course of and arising out of the claimant's participation in a rehabilitation program, the claimant or, in the case of death, a dependent of the claimant, may file a claim for compensation and benefits. All compensation and benefit awards made as a result of the injury, disease, or death shall be charged to the surplus fund account, created pursuant to section 4123.34 of the Revised Code, and not charged through the state insurance fund to the employer against which the claim was allowed so long as the employer pays assessments into the surplus fund account for the payment of such compensation and benefits. If an employer is a self-insuring employer, the self-insuring employer shall pay these compensation and benefits directly as a part of a claim.
R.C. § 4121.68