After suffering a work-related injury, the primary objective for injured employees is to get the medical care they need. This might be easier said than done if their employer has a designated caregiver to inspect the patient or if their insurance company refuses to pay for a visit. Talk to a dependable workers’ comp attorney to learn more about medical treatment in Glastonbury workers’ compensation.
Are Injured Employees Sent to a Specific Doctor?
An employer might have an agreement with a medical provider that any injured workers will treat with them first. The worker has an obligation to inform their employer that they are injured and ask where they should go for treatment. However, if the employer gives them the flexibility to go somewhere else, they can go where they like.
In Glastonbury, employees are frequently sent to CorpCare for a first visit. The employee has an obligation to accept at least the first visit and then can make a decision about where they want to go in the future. A lawyer might know the reputations that various doctors have, especially the medical providers who are the first reports for a lot of employers. These doctors have an incentive to get people back to work, even when they should not physically return to work.
It is important to have an attorney examining the medical records and making sure the treatment is from someone who is concerned about the patient and is not trying to rush them back to work when they are not ready.
What Role Does the Insurance Company Have in Dictating Treatment?
The insurance company has an obligation to pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to the work injury. Usually, when workers are hurt and need to see a doctor, they first need to talk to the insurance company. The insurance decides whether or not to authorize that treatment.
In the event that they do not authorize the first visit, the patient must find another medical professional to prove their case. Insurance companies often refuse to accept the claim if the worker does not have causation from a medical provider but they will not pay for the worker to visit one. Therefore, medical treatment in a local workers’ comp case is reliant on the choices of the employer’s insurance.
A lawyer could advise someone on going to a walk-in clinic or using their own personal insurance for one visit. The insurance company should be authorizing reasonable and necessary medical treatment but they frequently deny it and force lawyers to fight that decision.
Insufficient Treatment
When someone is sent to a medical provider chosen by their employer or insurance company, they sometimes feel like the doctor does not have their best interests at heart, especially if they tell them they can return to work despite still being in pain. The injured person may hire an attorney to help them resolve the issues and get a second opinion. The attorney might pay for independent medical exam or ask the Workers’ Compensation Commissioners to authorize a change in the treating physician.
Medical-Only Claims
Connecticut does not recognize a medical-only claim, which is where someone is only entitled to receive medical benefits and not wages. In some situations, an employee might choose to settle for a lump sum amount of money in place of a wage claim. This is only advised in rare circumstances.
Maximum Medical Improvement
Maximum medical improvement is a concept that means a person is physically as good as they are going to get, even if they are not fully back to their pre-accident normal. This concept is best administered by a doctor and depends on the kinds of injuries someone has. If an individual has a soft-tissue injury—no breaks, no bulges, no ligament tears—then they might be as good as they are going to get within three to six months.
However, in the case of someone who has a more serious injury such as a tear, a disc bulge, or requires surgery, a reasonable doctor is not willing to say that the patient is at maximum medical improvement until about a year from a surgery. Even then, it can change based on how people recover. Medical treatment in a Glastonbury workman’s compensation case can last over a year if the injury is serious enough.
Inability to Return to Work
A person’s work options depend on their permanent restrictions. If their employer can accommodate them in a new position or in their old job with those restrictions, they can go back to work. If they are not able to return to their job, they might need to resolve their case and find other work. Connecticut has a vocational rehabilitation program for people who are at maximum medical improvement. They can apply for education assistance or job retraining to put themselves into a field that can accommodate their limitations.
Speak to an Attorney About Medial Treatment in Glastonbury Workers’ Compensation
When you are injured on the job, you have a right to receive full and proper medical care. Some physicians might not have your own best interests in mind. For this reason, you should discuss medical treatment in Glastonbury workers’ compensation with a lawyer who is on your side. Call now for a free consultation.
