When Should You Seek Treatment?
You should seek treatment right away for any injury, even if it seems minor. This means seeing a doctor immediately after a work-related accident or at the first sign of any symptoms that might be due to your work duties or to toxic exposure on the job.
Getting prompt treatment serves two important purposes: First, early treatment makes it more likely that you’ll recover from your injuries faster. Second, the closer in time to your accident that you receive treatment, the less room it gives your employer (or its insurance company) to argue that your medical condition isn’t related to your work.
No matter what, you should resist the urge to “tough it out” or downplay the seriousness of your injuries. This can delay or impede your recovery, and it can affect the scope of treatment authorized by workers’ comp or the amount of benefits you ultimately receive.
What Should You Tell Your Doctor?
Even with the advancement of medical technology, doctors still rely on patients to report symptoms, severity of pain, and activities that are difficult or impossible to perform.
This is especially true for soft tissue injuries; these injuries don’t involve bones and often cannot be verified through medical imaging like x-rays. Because some injuries can be more subjective in nature, it’s especially important for you to communicate with your doctor about what you’re feeling. In doing so, you should follow these guidelines:
- Be honest and accurate. Describe your symptoms to your doctor truthfully. Don’t exaggerate, but don’t downplay your symptoms either. An experienced doctor will know when you’re not telling the truth, and you’ll lose credibility.
- Err on the side of inclusion. Tell your doctor about all of your symptoms, even ones that seem minor or fleeting. Your doctor is the expert, and you should let him or her decide what’s important. Besides, a symptom that seems insignificant now may develop into a serious problem weeks or months down the road.
- Don’t speculate. If you don’t know the answer to a question your doctor asks, just say so. Never guess about what the cause of your injuries might be, and don’t say that you have fully recovered unless you’re sure that’s the case.
Who Pays for Your Medical Bills?
In most states, your employer is required to pay for your medical bills until a decision has been made to accept or deny your claim, at least up to a certain amount. If your claim is approved, your employer will continue to pay for your medical bills for approved treatment.
If your workers com claim is denied, you can pay for your own bills and seek reimbursement from the insurance company if and when the denial is overturned on appeal.
Some doctors might agree to treat you on what’s called a “lien basis,” meaning that payment for your bills will come out of any recovery you get through workers’ comp. In the meantime, if your state has a temporary disability insurance program, you may be eligible to apply for these short-term benefits to make up for some of your out-of-pocket costs.
https://www.thehartford.com/workers-compensation
Check out this video above on workers comp for more information.
