Workers’ compensation insurance benefits are a crucial lifeline to those who fall ill or get injured on the job. Your benefits will offer 100% coverage for necessary medical care and replace a portion of your wages for as long as you qualify for temporary disability.
Once you are able to return to work, your benefits will end, although you may still receive medical benefits if you have ongoing care needs, like physical therapy. Sometimes, employers or their insurance companies try to end necessary benefits before a worker is ready to get back on the job. What can you do about an early termination of the workers’ compensation benefits you need?
Is your employer willing to work with you to get you back on the job?
In some cases, your employer might feel that your recovery has reached the point where you can perform other job responsibilities even if you can’t do the same tasks you once did.
If your employer is willing to give you different responsibilities or otherwise accommodate you in a way that your physician agrees is appropriate, it’s possible you might be able to go back to work even before you finish healing.
You may still need workers’ compensation benefits such as partial disability if you have to accept a reduced wage until you fully recover. Cooperating with your employer can help you get back to work, which can benefit everyone. Still, your employer may not understand the impact your condition has on your work ability.
Are you not physically able to go back to work yet?
If your pain levels are too high, you still require rest or your doctor agrees that physical labor would impact your recovery, you may need to submit medical documentation about your condition. Generally, you have to agree that it’s time to end your benefits.
If you can show conclusively that you need to continue resting or receiving treatment, you should be able to continue receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Even if getting the benefits you need turns into a fight, advocating for yourself is critical. If you don’t push for what is right and fair, you might be the one who winds up bearing the financial cost of your injury after all.