Medical Care after Suffering an Injury While on the Job
Accident victims sometimes sustain their injuries while they are on the job, working within the scope of their employment. When that occurs, they may need to undergo various types of medical care. The medical care that a work accident victim requires will depend upon the type of injury they sustained in their accident – and the severity of their injury.
Under the workers’ compensation system, your employer should cover all of your work-related medical care, either through being self-insured or by using their workers’ compensation insurance policy, which the law requires they carry.
The claims administrator for the insurance company should pay all of your related medical bills. Assuming you submitted the proper claim form and your doctor is aware that your injury is work-related, you should never receive a medical bill for the treatment you received. In fact, it is against the law for a medical facility or physician to bill a worker if they believe the individual sustained their injury while they were working.
Available Medical Care that’s Available to Injured Workers
Under the workers’ compensation system, an insurance company claim administrator must pay for authorized medical care that is reasonably necessary to relieve or cure a person’s accident-related work injuries. Moreover, medical care must follow certain medical treatment guidelines. The purpose of these guidelines is to assist physicians with providing individuals with the treatment they need to recover fully from their injuries.
These guidelines also help physicians advise injured workers on ways that they can remain active during the recovery process. Finally, the guidelines help physicians inform employers about changes that may be necessary in the workplace to allow the accident victim to return to work promptly. This may include allowing the individual to work at a light-duty job while they recover from their on-the-job injuries.
Recommending Treatment that is not in the Guidelines
Some workers who suffer injuries at their job need treatment that the medical treatment utilization schedule (MTUS), published by the Division of Workers’ Compensation publishes, does not provide for. In the event your healthcare provider recommends some type of treatment that the guidelines do not mention, the insurance company must still pay for the treatment if it follows other scientific guidelines that the national medical community recommends.
Beginning Medical Treatment
If you need emergency medical treatment following your on-the-job accident, your employer has to give you access to that treatment immediately. If you require non-emergency medical care, the insurance company must authorize medical treatment within one business day after you turn in the appropriate claim form.
During the time when the insurance company investigates your claim, the claims administrator must authorize the necessary treatment you require, up to a maximum of $10,000. In the event the insurance company does not authorize your medical treatment immediately, you should speak with your supervisor – or with the claims administrator directly.
Call a Knowledgeable Work Injury Lawyer in Your Area Today
In addition to seeking medical treatment for your job-related injuries, it is essential that you speak with a knowledgeable Garden Grove workers’ compensation lawyer in your area right away. Your lawyer can begin handling the legal aspects of your workers’ comp claim while you focus on treating your injuries and making a full recovery.
