Every day, thousands of employees get injured in workplace accidents. Most of these injuries are mild, but some are moderate to severe, resulting in significant physical, emotional, and financial challenges for employees. Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act, 77 Pennsylvania Statutes § 1 et seq., provides that injured workers are entitled to medical treatment. Understanding the process and legal requirements for getting medical care can help you secure these benefits.
If you are not sure how to access medical treatment after a workplace injury in Levittown, you can seek guidance from the experienced workers’ compensation attorney at Kaitlin Files LLC. We can help you understand workplace policies, ensure you comply with them, and help you get started on the compensation process.
The first step after a workplace injury is to report the incident to the employer as soon as possible. Under 77 Pennsylvania Statutes § 631, employees must notify their employer within 120 days of the injury to retain their eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits. Failure to do so can result in a claim denial.
However, employees do not want to wait 120 days to report. Delaying reporting can result in the employer’s insurer delaying benefits or treatment. Once the employee reports the injury, the employer can direct the worker to seek medical treatment after a Levittown workplace injury. If the worker fails to do so, the employer’s insurer might deny the claim.
Per the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act, employers can technically require injured employees to visit specific medical providers for the first 90 days of their treatment. However, this rule only applies if the employer properly posts a list of at least six physicians and provides a Rights and Responsibilities document signed by the employee acknowledging their understanding of this rule, both at the time of hire and the time of injury. This situation rarely applies, so workers are typically able to choose their provider.
If the necessary paperwork is not completed by an employer or written acknowledgment from an employee is not obtained, injured Levittown workers have the right to seek treatment from a healthcare provider of their choosing. It is vital to ensure that the chosen provider accepts workers’ compensation coverage, as treatment from a non-participating provider may not be covered.
Employers or their insurance carriers are responsible for covering all reasonable and necessary medical expenses related to workplace injury. Some of the covered costs include
To qualify for reimbursement, the medical treatment must be directly related to the workplace injury.
In some cases, an employer or its insurance carrier may request an Independent Medical Examination (IME) to assess the severity of the injury and the necessity of ongoing treatment. Injured workers must attend these examinations in order to guarantee continued access to medical treatment after a Levittown workplace injury.
However, employees may hesitate to trust the findings in the IME since employers or insurers usually choose the physicians conducting the examination. If an IME report challenges the need for continued treatment or benefits, the injured worker may need legal assistance to contest the findings.
Employers and insurers may even deny medical treatment or reimbursement for expenses, arguing that the treatment is unnecessary or unrelated to the workplace injury. In those cases, injured workers have the right to challenge the denial through the workers’ compensation claims process.
Employees can file a claim petition with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to resolve disputes over medical treatment. In those instances, they may need help from an attorney.
The legal team at Kaitlin Files, LLC can help employees file claim petitions, handle disputes over causation, challenge denials of specific treatment, or delays in approvals. To learn more, schedule a consultation.
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