ART PODCAST| Episode 9: Medical Care Part 1

Getting appropriate and immediate medical attention after an accident at work is often the biggest concern for clients. Today’s edition of the Accident Recovery Team podcast furthers the discussion on worker’s compensation law in Kansas. Partners Todd King and Gary Albin discuss treatment after a workplace injury. Specific to Kansas, state law state gives insurance companies the right to designate your treating doctor after a workplace injury. There are a lot of ramifications surrounding this point. Insurance companies aren’t supposed to control the doctors, but in reality, their influence is easy to see. Treatment from an authorized provider is 100% paid for by the work comp carrier. The insurance company pays the fee under a reduced rate schedule. Any remaining balance is not the responsibility of the injured worker. The insurance company only has an obligation to pay $500 for unauthorized care. Unauthorized medical treatment is not prohibited, it's just not going to automatically be paid for by the insurance company. It can end up in a stalemate between your health insurance and work comp insurance carrier. This is something to keep in mind when seeking a second opinion. Also, the injured worker has to pay the bill initially and submit it to the work comp carrier for reimbursement. Emergency treatment is generally an exception to the designated doctor provision. Other points of dispute include different parts of the body. You may think that your right ankle was affected by the injury but the work comp insurance carrier may tell the treating doctor that they are only authorizing treatment on the left knee. Do your part to make sure the doctor documents all your complaints. This ensures that your medical records are complete and may be important to your case as it progresses. There are also differences between scheduled and non-scheduled injuries that the insurance company understands far better than the injured worker. A nurse case manager may be assigned to your case and attend appointments with you. They may even attempt to speak with the doctor on your behalf and try to manage care in the direction they see fit. As a representative of the insurance company, and working in tandem with the authorized doctor, this begins to set the tone for your case in favor of the insuror. Consult the Accident Recovery Team after an injury at work. The workers’ compensation treatment process is complicated and difficult to navigate. Conditions may persist or develop into other injuries that weren’t initially detected. Experienced attorneys with success representing injured workers, the Accident Recovery Team puts you back on level ground with insurance companies and the teams they utilize to minimize expenses. Reach out with any questions and speak to an attorney right away. Tune in to the next edition of The Accident Recovery Team Podcast for more information on workers’ compensation cases.