Medical Care: An Important Workers’ Comp Benefit
If You Are Injured At Work, Medical Care Is One of the Most Important Workers’ Compensation Benefits You Can Receive
Medical care can not only help alleviate symptoms from your injury, but can help you return to work in an expedited manner. Finding the correct medical provider is key to accomplishing these goals.
Under Labor Code 4600, an employer is required to furnish medical treatment that is reasonably required to cure the injured worker from the effects of his or her injury. This obligation includes providing all “medical, surgical, chiropractic, acupuncture, and hospital treatment, including nursing, medicines, medical and surgical supplies, crutches, and apparatuses, including orthotic and prosthetic devices and services.
If you are injured at work, is medical care automatically provided?
The short answer is NO. Simply because you are injured at work does not mean that your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer will begin providing medical care. The insurance company will consider multiple factors before any medical care may be authorized. These factors may include the following:
- Are you within the 90-day decision period?
- Is your claim on delay, accepted or denied?
- Are you requesting a doctor within the employer’s medical provider network (MPN)?
- Do you know what MPN is applicable to your claim?
- Has the physician issued a request for authorization (RFA) for any medical treatment you may need?
- Has the RFA been submitted utilization review (UR)?
- Has UR made a timely decision? Can the UR decision be appealed through the independent medical review (IMR) process?
Get Legal Help Navigating Through The Workers’ Compensation System
Understanding how to navigate through this maze of considerations will help get you the medical care you need so you can get better and return to work. Not knowing your rights may delay or even prevent you from obtaining the medical care you need. It is important to consult with a knowledgeable law firm that can assist you with this process. Contact our office if you have questions relating to the medical care of any other workers’ compensation concerns.
Ford & Wallach offers a free case evaluation. Contact us by email or call 213.380.3140.
