In addition to reporting the injury, seeking medical care after the injury is perhaps one of the most important things to do at the beginning of workers' compensation claims. Obtaining medical care creates documentation of the diagnosis and the injury that was sustained. In many situations, the medical care provided just after the injury can help direct the injured worker to more specialized care or therapy if such treatment is deemed necessary. It is also the first opportunity for a medical expert to offer an opinion on whether there is a cause and effect connection between the injury and the diagnosis.
Seeking Medical Care After a Work-Related Injury
The Process of Settling a Workers Comp Claim
The settlement of a workers' compensation claim can be a way for an injured worker to receive a final monetary payment under the claim. Once a claim is settled, no further costs (medical or monetary benefits) are payable under the claim.
Fewer Injured Workers Are at Risk for Opioid Dependency
According to the BWC, In 2011, more than 80,000 injured workers took the equivalent of at least 60mg a day of morphine for 60 days or more, becoming "clinically dependent" on Opioids.1 With an increasing number of opioids routinely being prescribed after injuries or surgeries, people are runing into more and more issues with these drugs. Surgeries often include long recovery times, resulting in prolonged use of opioids which then causes poeple to become dependent on these drugs.
The Ins and Outs of Temporary Total Disability
"Total disability" means that the injured worker is unable to return to his or her former position of emloyment. A finding of temporary total disability, sometimes reffered to as TTD, does not require a showing of complete physical impairment; rather, TTD requires a showing that the injured worker is prevented from performing his or her regular job duties.
A New Ohio Workers' Compensation Wellness Program
The backbone of a successful business is its workers, and the backbone of Ohio is its workforce!1 The BWC hopes that through this program, Better You, Better Ohio!, Ohio workers will take ownership of their health and well-being, and create a healthier more proactive lifestyle.2 This program Will be offered to tiny businesses with 50 or less workers in high-risk industries at no cost.