After a work injury, you will need a “treating doctor” who provides you
with medical care, coordinates treatment and takes care of compliance
with workers’ compensation requirements. Your doctor not only needs to
help you recover from your injuries, but also will play an instrumental
role in determining the type of workers’ compensation benefits you
receive. As a result, it is essential that you choose your physician
wisely.
Your employer or the workers’ compensation may try to pressure you to choose a physician that acts in the company’s best interests rather than focusing on what is right for you. This can have a detrimental effect on your long-term prognosis as well as on the workers’ compensation benefits you receive.
How Your Workers Comp Doctor Impacts Your Benefits
In addition to providing you with basic medical care, your doctor also does a lot of other things for you when you have suffered a work injury. For example, your treating physician will make decisions on:
Original source: http://www.workerscomp.com/good-doctors-houston-tx/
Your employer or the workers’ compensation may try to pressure you to choose a physician that acts in the company’s best interests rather than focusing on what is right for you. This can have a detrimental effect on your long-term prognosis as well as on the workers’ compensation benefits you receive.
How Your Workers Comp Doctor Impacts Your Benefits
In addition to providing you with basic medical care, your doctor also does a lot of other things for you when you have suffered a work injury. For example, your treating physician will make decisions on:
- What medical tests you need. Your treating physician must recommend you undergo a medical test in order for it to be paid for by workers’
- What specialists you should see. Workers’ compensation medical benefits should pay for 100 percent of treatment you need, including seeing specialists. Your treating doctor should make sure you get the professional care you need.
- When you are cleared to return to work, and whether you should be on light duty. If you are cleared to return to your old job or to a light duty position, then your disability benefits will end. It is imperative you are not cleared to return to work too soon.
- What temporary or permanent work restrictions apply. If your employer offers you a light duty job or a job you can do with restrictions, your disability benefits are reduced. As a result, you want to ensure your doctor is thorough when determining what limitations you have.
- What your impairment rating is. Your impairment rating determines the income you receive through workers’ compensation, and whether you are eligible for supplemental income benefits.
Original source: http://www.workerscomp.com/good-doctors-houston-tx/
