Working With Your Workers' Comp Doctor

If you have suffered a workplace injury, it's vital that you seek prompt medical attention. You cannot expect to gain the valuable benefits offered by your employer's workers' compensation insurance carrier if you fail to get treatment, and doing so as soon as possible could help improve your chances for a quick recovery and make it more likely that you can get the full suite of workers' comp benefits to which you are entitled. The time period while you are being treated by the doctor is an important one, so read on to learn more about two commonly encountered issues when it comes to working with your doctor for your work-related injury.

Communication With Your Doctor

Even though there have been some amazing advances in medical diagnostics, you must still be able to adequately explain your injury to your doctor. Being able to communicate how you are injured will allow you to get the best medical care and will also help ensure that you get the workers' comp benefits you need. Here's some tips for your doctor's visits:

• While you should not exaggerate your symptoms, don't downplay them either. This is not the time to be dramatic or play the hero; your doctor needs to hear an accurate accounting of what ails you.
• Don't try to edit your symptoms, tell the doctor everything whether you think it's related to the workplace injury or not. Only your doctor is qualified to determine what symptoms are important and relate to your workplace injury and what are not. You never know when something that seems to be minor or insignificant could turn out to be key.
• Let the medical professionals draw their own conclusions. If you've done a good job of describing your symptoms, don't jump to your own conclusions about what is going on with your injury. If you are asked a question that you are unable to answer, just say so.
• Never tell the doctor that you are recovered from your injury. Your doctor must make that determination based on your diagnostic tests and on your responses to questioning.

Paying Your Medical Bills

The cost of receiving medical care has skyrocketed, and the treatment and diagnostic testing for even minor injuries can be shockingly high. While the way payment for medical services can vary from state to state, the workers' comp carrier will cover your medical bills for your initial treatment costs. If your workers' comp claim is later denied, there may be a dollar amount limit on those initial costs and no medical care will be paid for after the denial. If you claim is approved, you can expect full payment of all medical bills, however.

If your claim is denied and you seek medical treatment on your own, you may be entitled to reimbursement if your denial is later overturned. A claim denial is a red flag that you need to seek help from an attorney from a place like Blomberg Benson & Garrett. Do so as soon as you know that your claim has hit a snag, and get the benefits that you need and deserve.