Workers Compensation and Medical The Treatment If youve been injured at work, your employer must provide you with medical treatment. Many times, your employer will direct you to a specific health-care provider or doctor for treatment. The Pennsylvania Workers Compensation Act requires employers to establish a list of at least five health-care providers from which you can choose. The list must be posted in your workplace and provided to any employee who reports a work-related injury. If the employer does not have a list, you are free to seek treatment from the physician or health-care provider of your choice. As a practical matter, it is difficult for many injured employees to find treatment for work-related injuries initially. Furthermore, fear of retribution often causes employees to treat with employer-designated health-care providers, even when they are not required to do so. If an employee feels that such a health-care provider is not providing adequate care, they should contact an attorney to see if they may be allowed to choose their own health-care provider. In addition, many times an injury will require treatment with a specialist. If there is not an appropriate specialist on your employers list of health-care providers, you are free to choose your own specialist. The requirement to treat with an employer-designated physician ends 90 days from the date of the injury. At that time, neither the employer nor workers compensation insurance company can direct your medical treatment. The choice of health-care providers is entirely up to you. There is no requirement to seek pre-approval of a specific physician or health-care provider from your employer. Another common question is whether your employer has the right to send a nurse or case manager with you to medical appointments. The Workers Compensation Act does not specifically require that your doctor speak with a nurse or case manager. Typically, nurses or case managers will ask you to sign an authorization allowing them to attend your medical appointments and talk to your physicians. You have absolutely no legal obligation to cooperate with a nurse or case manager. Although there are some instances in which nurses and case managers can be helpful, it is important to remember that they are usually paid by your employer or your employers insurance company, and their ultimate goal is to minimize the cost of your treatment. Therefore, beware of excessive involvement by nurses and case managers, particularly in cases where it appears the disability will be long-term or returning to work will be difficult. A serious work-related injury can have devastating effects on an injured employee and his or her family. In the end, a workers compensation insurance company is primarily concerned with limiting the cost of the claim. Therefore, its important that anyone with a significant work-related injury talk to an experienced workers compensation attorney. If you or a loved one has suffered a work-related injury, the lawyers at HKQ are available to give you a free consultation. Our attorneys have successfully handled thousands of workers compensation cases and can help you protect your rights. Call us today at (570) 287-3000 or visit us online at HKQLAW to contact an attorney today. And dont forget to like us on Facebook.
Posted on: Thu, 28 Aug 2014 18:22:34 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015