How Workers’ Compensation Medical Treatment Works
Here’s what to do first when you’re hurt on the job:
STEP 1: Report the injury to your employer immediately. Your report should not only be verbal, but in a written First Report of Injury and sent electronically via-mail or text message to your employer. (The written and electronic reports provide proof that you reported your injury, which you may need later if your employer or the BWC contests your claim.)
STEP 2: Get medical treatment as fast as possible. Preferably the day you get injured, but definitely within 24 hours. Any delays in getting treated will be used against you by the Ohio BWC, your employer, and the Ohio Industrial Commission.
For your first medical treatment after a work injury, it’s best not to see your family doctor, since they usually don’t take workers’ compensation insurance.
Instead, go to an urgent care clinic or occupational health center to document your work injury. These types of providers know the Ohio workers’ compensation system and accept workers’ compensation insurance, so you’re less likely to get stuck with a medical bill.
Tell them you had a job injury and plan to seek medical care through the Ohio workers’ compensation system.
Don’t worry about coverage for that first visit, since the urgent care or occupational health facility knows how to get their services paid for by the Ohio BWC.
STEP 3: Later you can seek additional treatment from a specialist, like an orthopedist, chiropractor or surgeon.
If you didn’t get the chance at first, report your injury to your employer after your injury stabilizes.
You can also get the work injury attorneys at Horenstein, Nicholson & Blumenthal to file your Ohio BWC claim electronically and get a claim number assigned, so there are no delays in your medical care or financial compensation.
To get further treatment after the initial visit, you have more rules to follow. If you don’t, you could be on the hook for your medical bills.
- If your employer has workers’ compensation benefits through the Ohio BWC, you must go to a BWC-certified medical provider. Your employer’s managed care organization (MCO) will have a list of providers, but the work injury attorneys at HNB can also help you find an eligible provider.
- If your employer is self-insured, they will have a list of doctors approved by a third-party administrator (TPA). But keep in mind that self-insured employers typically refer you to medical providers who are sympathetic to the employer’s wishes, not your needs. Contact HNB to help find the best providers for your injury.
As you heal, the MCO or TPA decides whether to approve or deny your treatment options, which gives them a lot of control over your medical care.
They have an incentive to minimize medical treatment and get you back to work as soon as possible, which can lead to disagreements about the status of your recovery. They may also refuse to let you see the health care provider of your choosing if they’re not on the certified list.
At HNB, our work injury lawyers can look at your claim and help you choose the best course of action for your health and your future working life. Give us a call. We’ll evaluate your case at no charge.
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