If you get injured at work, you may wonder what type of medical treatment your workers’ compensation benefits will cover. It is crucial to get the medical care you need for your recovery and to ensure you receive proper compensation for your workplace injury.
You must follow the proper steps and procedures after a workplace injury or illness. Doing so preserves your eligibility to receive workers’ compensation benefits for your medical care. Unfortunately, you may not always have the luxury of following the proper steps. Sometimes, you cannot afford to delay treatment while waiting for payment. If you have questions about covering your medical treatment after a workplace injury in Van Nuys or ensuring you receive appropriate care, contact the seasoned workers’ compensation attorneys at Glauber Berenson Vego.
You must seek medical attention immediately after a workplace injury in Van Nuys. The greater the time between your injury and when you first seek medical care for that injury, the easier it is for employers and insurers to dispute the claim. Getting medical care on the day of the injury helps provide evidence that the injury is related to a workplace incident.
Getting medical care for a workplace injury can be complicated. Not every medical provider wants to work with workers’ compensation claims. They may not accept workers’ compensation insurance, which can make seeking care difficult, and you may not be able to get care from your regular doctor. In those instances, you may want to check with urgent care facilities or emergency rooms. You can also contact our firm, and we can refer you to providers who work with people who have been injured in the workplace.
Sometimes, your employer will have a designated provider or the right to designate the provider you see. Designated providers are not always objective and get much of their business from injured employees. They may feel pressured by insurers to minimize the details of injuries in their reports. If you feel like the designated provider is not providing adequate care, you can request another one. You can also seek an opinion from an objective, neutral healthcare provider.
Skipping necessary medical care after a workplace injury because of costs in Van Nuys is common. You may be tempted to do so after a workplace injury, but skipping or delaying treatment can exacerbate your injury and prolong your recovery. Additionally, failure to get prompt medical attention can make it more challenging to succeed in a workers’ compensation claim.
Remember, if you are a covered employee, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer must pay for reasonable and necessary medical treatment for workplace injuries. You should not get any bills for your medical care. If you use your health insurance for the injuries, the workers’ comp insurer should cover out-of-pocket expenses like co-pays, deductibles, or write-offs.
It is vital to remember that you have a different goal than your employer and your insurer. Getting employees back to work as soon as possible is most employer’s primary goal. Paying as little as possible in benefits is always the insurer’s main goal. Your goal is to make as complete of a recovery as possible and get cleared for work so that you can return to supporting yourself and your family. When these goals collide, it is usually the employee who pays the price.
If you are struggling to get the proper medical treatment after a workplace injury in Van Nuys, an attorney from Glauber Berenson Vego could help. Schedule a consultation to learn more.
