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Immediate Injury Response
Post Injury Response Procedures:
Post Injury response procedures are the cornerstone of an effective workers' comp management program. Many employers forget the basics - leaving employees to receive treatment from the doctors they choose, come back to work when they feel like it (or not) and provide whatever documentation their medical provider gives them. Employers need to put procedures in place to gain as much control as allowed by the laws in their state. Note: laws vary in each state.
Procedures during the first 24 hours following an injury must be tight in order to keep injured employees in the loop. While there are many roadblocks to rapid return to work, most can be overcome if you anticipate them in advance.
20 Things to Do Immediately After an Injury:
- Have procedures in place from the moment an injury occurs until an employee returns to work on full duty or transitional duty. Having procedures in place sends the message that you - the employer - are in control.
- Report the claim to your claim administrator immediately so the claims administrator can begin coordinating medical care and investigation, and can make payment if required timely to avoid penalties. In many states, there is only a limited time in which a claim may be disputed, so do not delay reporting the claim.
- Have your company nurse or a nurse case manager coordinate immediate medical care so injured employees receive prompt, excellent quality care by a physician or clinic which supports your company's goal of rapid healing and return to productivity.
- Select the most qualified physicians and clinics to gain maximum control of the medical care your employees receive.
- Include a medical advisor on your team to review medical care and effectiveness of medical vendors proactively within the first few weeks of disability - not after the claim has reached a $25,000 threshold! Once it has reached that level, it is much more difficult to regain control.
- Provide transportation to the medical facility if it is offsite.
- Have the supervisor accompany the employee to the doctor.
- Make sure the employee understands it is a job requirement to take your company's Work Ability Form to the doctor and bring it back to the workplace if they are injured.
- Have all employees sign an Employee Acknowledgement Form indicating they have received the forms you require. Save the signed acknowledgement.
- Have the doctor fax you the completed Work Ability Form. Require the employee to bring the completed form back to work if they return to work immediately after receiving medical care.
- Have the medical provider perform a post-injury drug and alcohol screen after all injuries.
- If the employee has gone to the Emergency Room or a non-network doctor for initial treatment and has not received a drug screen, have the employee go to your clinic the next day for a drug screen.
- If the employee goes to the Emergency Room, do not forget to request the medical records from the Emergency Room visit - this is often overlooked. Make sure to send the HIPAA release with the record request.
- Display the post-injury procedure where employees can easily read it. That might be on a Wallet Card, on a lanyard, in the glove box or on the visor of a company vehicle.
- Give each employee an Employee Brochure, "What to Do If You Are injured on the Job."
- Include all necessary documentation in the Supervisor Packet so Supervisors have all necessary documentation readily available in the event an employee is injured.
- Call the employee if he or she is unable to return to work after initial medical treatment. Use the First Day Phone Call Guidelines to make sure you cover all necessary items, and do not stray into impermissible areas.
- If they have left any personal items at work, offer to bring them these items.
- If the injury is serious, contact a seriously injured employee's family or emergency contacts.
- Send a get well card or flowers from all employees, supervisor and management to let them know YOU CARE!
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These are only a few of the many ideas you will find in the Workers Comp Manual.
Do not use this information without independent verification. Laws are different in each state. Check with corporate legal counsel before implementing any steps on this website.
"Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%"
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To learn more about how to lower your workers compensation expense, read the guidebook from Advisen and the Workers Comp Resource Center, Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%, which covers the following:
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