Experts report that there were 2.8 reported injuries per 100 full-time workers in the United States in 2018.
Many of these would have been minor, requiring little or no treatment. However, many more would have been serious enough to warrant ongoing care.
In these cases, workers should be entitled to treatment from workers’ comp doctors. However, not every doctor treats workers’ compensation patients.
Read on to learn more about what doctors accept workers’ compensation, and how to find them.
What Is Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation protects employees when they suffer illnesses or injuries as a result of their activities at work.
It covers a broad range of conditions, including almost any physical injury. The most common injuries are overexertion injuries, slip-related injuries, and fall-related injuries.
Workers comp may also cover mental illnesses, although causation here is more difficult to prove.
The employer is the party who is liable for payment. However, workers’ comp insurance is widely available to provide cover here, and is actually legally required in every state except Texas.
The payment provides for medical treatment as well as lost earnings.
How to Find Workers’ Comp Doctors
As mentioned above, not every doctor deals with workers’ compensation cases. To get ongoing treatment for a condition you developed at work, you will have to find a specialist Workers’ Compensation Doctor.
These are doctors that the state government approves as providers of workers’ compensation care. You may have to find such a doctor yourself, but your employer might direct you to one in some cases.
You should note that you don’t need to go to a workers’ comp provider for your initial assessment. Your usual healthcare provider (or an emergency room doctor) is acceptable for this.
While ongoing care is provided for by the workers’ compensation scheme, there are limits to your entitlements. For instance, you will only be allowed a certain number of physiotherapy or massage therapy visits under your workers’ comp plan.
What If My Employer Won’t Pay?
As noted above, workers’ compensation insurance is generally mandatory. However, many employers will still try to escape liability in order to protect their low insurance premiums.
The easiest way for an employer to do this is to attempt to prove that your injury did not arise as a result of your working activities. This is easier in some cases than in others.
For example, if you fall off a height and break your leg at work, it will be impossible for your employer to argue that you weren’t injured at work.
On the other hand, if your injury arose because of repetitive strain, your employer might be able to make a convincing argument that you sustained it due to activities carried out outside the workplace.
Getting the Care You Need
If you’ve suffered an injury, the first thing on your mind will be recovering from it. Workers’ comp doctors can help you take the first step and guide you through the entire process.
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