Workers in any profession can potentially get hurt on the job. Office employees might fall while organizing files. Retail workers could cut themselves when opening boxes. Even seemingly safe jobs expose people to hazards that can affect their ability to continue their employment.
State regulations in Ohio require that most employers obtain workers’ compensation coverage. Workers’ compensation protects businesses from direct liability stemming from employee injuries or illnesses. Workers’ compensation also protects workers from financial hardship by covering medical expenses and providing disability benefits.
Medical benefits provide full coverage for necessary treatment expenses, which is typically better coverage than people receive through standard health insurance. Those benefits are therefore incredibly valuable.
When do medical benefits through workers’ compensation typically end?
When workers achieve maximum medical improvement
Some medical conditions related to employment don’t result in a full recovery. A worker with carpal tunnel syndrome might always have lingering pain and limits on their functional abilities. At some point, the doctor overseeing the case may determine that the patient no longer responds to treatment.
They may submit paperwork indicating that the worker has achieved maximum medical improvement (MMI). At that point, coverage for treatment-related benefits and. Workers may only be eligible for medical coverage to continue controlling existing symptoms.
When workers become non-compliant
Treatment for work injuries typically requires the compliance of the injured professional. They have to attend physical therapy, restrict their activities or take medication according to the doctor’s instructions.
In scenarios where injured workers outright refuse to follow a doctor’s instructions, they can reduce their eligibility for ongoing benefits. Medical non-compliance by refusing surgery or failing to follow physical therapy instructions might mean that the worker is no longer eligible for medical coverage. Their non-compliance could also affect their eligibility for disability benefits.
When they fully recover
The best possible outcome in a workers’ compensation claim is a full recovery. When a patient has healed from their injury or illness, they no longer require medical care. At that point, their medical benefits and their disability benefits may end. In some cases, workers may be able to reopen a prior claim if their symptoms come back or their condition worsens.
Employees in need of workers’ compensation benefits need to understand the rules that govern the available coverage. Medical benefits may last for as long as someone requires and continues responding to treatment, unless they contribute to the persistence own symptoms by failing to follow medical instructions.