Personal Injury: How Are Costs Met During an Open Case?
When you are injured on the job, workers’ compensation usually covers the costs associated with your injury. Whether you were hurt in a slip-and-fall accident or twisted your back in an unsafe lifting task, costs for treatment can rise faster than the time it takes to have your compensation case approved. In the meantime, you might start receiving bills from your doctor or the emergency room, and there are several steps you can take to ensure these costs do not come from out of pocket.
Pre-Approval Costs
If you need treatment before your workers’ compensation case is opened, you may still require pre-approval from the insurance company for certain medical procedures. For example, if you injured your back on the job and surgery is required to repair a slipped disc or damaged tendon, you may still require pre-approval, even if you have an ongoing compensation case. It is a good idea to inform your physician about your case before discussing any major medical treatment, as he or she may be able to assist you with gaining pre-approval.
Emergency Room Costs
Some on-the-job injuries require immediate care, as a few have the capacity to be life-threatening. From the food preparation industry to factory work, these serious accidents may include:
- 3d-degree burns
- Deep cuts
- Head injuries like skull fractures
Because treatment may be required before a workers’ compensation case is open, you might receive a bill from the hospital or pay for services at the time of receiving medical care. You may want to contact the billing department as soon as possible and report your pending case, as this could allow you to put off payments until the compensation papers are processed.
Ongoing Care
If your injury was serious enough that you require a considerable amount of care, such as assistance from a live-in nurse, it is important that you let your workers’ compensation representative know because most programs will pay for this cost for as long as the care is required. Workers’ compensation usually pays any type of caregiver, even spouses, and adult children. However, since laws vary from state to state, you may want to discuss salary options with your lawyer.
Diagnostic Testing
Your doctor or surgeon may order a battery of tests before any type of surgery takes place, including X-rays and ultrasounds. Your employer’s workers’ compensation plan will likely cover any test required as a result of your injury, even if follow-up diagnostics are required in the future to track how well you are healing.
Being injured on the job can result in medical bills that pile up quickly. Contact a personal injury lawyer, like an injury law firm in Indianapolis, IN, today for advice about how to open a case and have your expenses covered as soon as possible.
Thank you to the experts at Ward & Ward Law Firm, for their insight into personal injury law.