Getting hurt at work will lead to numerous consequences for the employee, especially if the injury is significant. A broken bone or back injury could require weeks of recovery time and leave someone unable to do their job.
Workers’ compensation in Florida covers someone’s lost wages by offering disability benefits. Workers can also count on full medical coverage for their job-acquired medical conditions. Whether someone needs surgery and physical therapy to address a compound fracture or medication for pain relief, Florida workers’ compensation will typically cover those expenses.
There won’t be any patient responsibilities, like copays or deductibles, the way that there would be with a standard health insurance policy. At what point will those medical benefits end?
Your recovery determines when benefits end
Full medical coverage for job-related injuries means potentially ongoing benefits for workers who develop job-acquired medical conditions. When it comes to actual treatment, like surgery and physical therapy, the necessity of the procedure is a primary consideration.
How likely someone is to respond to the treatment also determines whether or not workers’ compensation will pay for someone’s care. Typically, treatment costs are eligible for full coverage so long as a worker stands to improve or requires the treatment for symptom management.
At some point, however, the doctor overseeing a claim may determine that the worker has achieved maximum medical improvements (MMI). A doctor declaring a patient has achieved MMI for their condition means that their symptoms are stable and that additional treatment is unlikely to return significant medical benefit or symptom improvement.
Benefits may also end when a worker no longer has symptoms at all and can return to work. However, workers can potentially secure benefits again in the future if their job causes their symptoms to flare up, causing pain and other serious symptoms.
What if you disagree with your doctor?
Sometimes, your doctor says your condition is as good as it will get, but you believe you require more treatment. Other times, you may disagree with their treatment recommendations, possibly because you’d like to avoid surgery.
You may need to consider getting a second opinion if your doctor recommends invasive treatments that you would prefer to avoid, but you must be cautious. The average claim can only have one second opinion request.
Educating yourself about workers’ compensation medical benefits will help those struggling with the physical consequences of a job-related medical condition.