When you’ve been injured at work, it’s easy to become quickly overwhelmed. Not only do you need to deal with the pain of your injury and the hard work that is recovery, but you also need to figure out how to manage everything you were managing beforehand. You might need help around the house. The kids still need to be taken to and from school and watched after school. All your bills continue to exist as if you weren’t injured, as do any obligations you had to elderly relatives or spouses. The following will explore a few things you can do to help relieve the financial stress that comes with suffering a work injury. Particular emphasis will be placed on getting medical bills compensated in Georgia, but much of this information carries over into other states.
Of course, every injury is different. For tips and advice surrounding your particular circumstances, it’s always best to speak to a legal professional. Ideally, you want to do this before you start interacting with the insurance company. Insurance companies often aim to spend as little as possible, which means they don’t always recommend the course of action that’s in your best interest. In many cases, once you select one route of compensation, you’re no longer able to pursue another route, even if you later find out that a second option was a better fit for you.
Find An Authorized Doctor Or Physician
Not all physicians or doctors are authorized to provide treatment that’s covered by workers’ compensation policies. Ask your employer for a list (it should include at least six options that are pre-approved for you) of medical professionals. It’s important to note that if you visit someone who is unauthorized, you might end up paying out of pocket.
Specify That You’re Being Treated For A Workplace Injury
In many states, including Georgia, physicians, medical professionals, and hospitals cannot bill an employee who specifies that the reason for their treatment is a workplace injury to be covered by workers’ compensation. The bills will be sent to the insurance adjuster.
Find Out What’s Covered
You’re likely driving yourself crazy, wondering what’s covered and isn’t covered. You could be asking yourself questions specific to your area or industry, like are medical bills covered by workers’ comp in Georgia? Or part of my job requires that I drive to pick things up from time to time, and the injury occurred while I was doing that—am I still covered? Take a deep breath. If you were injured on the job, your medical bills are covered. Of course, getting the compensation requires that you follow instructions and fill out forms correctly, indicating that you meet the system’s requirements.
In Georgia, medical bills from workplace injuries are covered as long as: they are bills for the treatment of your injury (if, for instance, you also have an unrelated cough and get that looked at, it’s a separate thing). The treatment needs to be medically necessary to assist with pain, your condition’s improvement or cure, or to allow you to return to work. The treatment needs to be provided by an authorized physician, and the owning amount needs to be below the statewide workers’ compensation limits. Note that even if the expenses exceed the maximum, you are still not responsible for the fees.
Save Receipts For Expenses Related To Treatment
If there are costs involved in getting to medical appointments, save the receipts. Workers’ compensation regulations include reimbursement for these sorts of expenses.
Coronavirus Considerations
While not an injury, per se, the coronavirus can result in medical bills, and if it’s caught at work, you might be wondering whether these bills are covered. When it comes to contracting the COVID-19 virus while at work, things are a little more open-ended. Compensation depends on several factors, and the details of policies are still being ironed out to include the virus. Speak to an attorney if you find yourself in this situation.
Emotional Damage Is Trickier, But Not Impossible
When it comes to non-physical injuries, precedents are being set for compensation if expenses are being incurred for emotional or mental damages done in the workplace. This is a tricker scenario that will likely require some legal help. Speak to a lawyer if expenses for mental health services or medications for mental health diagnoses are part of your situation.
The above information should have provided a few tips on how to ensure the financial burden of an injury is heavily or entirely alleviated. Again, all workplace incidents are different, and this means that it’s in your best interest to speak to an attorney about the specifics of your situation.