Workers’ compensation benefits are an important protection for working professionals. Individuals who get hurt on the job can file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Coverage is also available to professionals diagnosed with a job-acquired medical condition, such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Workers’ compensation can provide disability coverage for professionals who cannot work or who must change jobs. Workers can receive payments that cover a portion of their lost wages until they recover. Employees are also usually eligible for medical benefits. The workers’ compensation program pays for all necessary treatments that a worker must undergo to make a full recovery.
The doctor overseeing a worker’s compensation claim determines what treatment is necessary. If the injured employee does not agree with the proposed care plan, do they have the option of seeking a second opinion?
Workers can ask for an outside review
Patients in general have the right to seek a second opinion, although they sometimes have to pay for that care themselves. Typically, workers’ compensation medical coverage applies to all necessary medical care. The program can cover the cost of the second opinion, especially when the worker disagrees with an invasive treatment plan.
In fact, the workers’ compensation program allows for a third opinion in some cases. Workers who do not agree with the treatment plan proposed by the first doctor they see or the physician providing a second opinion can sometimes see a third professional.
Typically, workers have to act relatively quickly by scheduling an appointment within 60 days of requesting the second opinion. If the second or third physician reviewing the case determines that a different course of treatment could be an option, the worker can potentially pursue that alternate treatment instead of the initial treatment plan proposed by the physician initially providing their care.
Situations involving treatment disputes can quickly become complicated. Failing to follow the right procedure may put a worker’s ongoing eligibility for benefits at risk. Those who disagree with the treatment plan proposed by a doctor need accurate information about workers’ compensation and support as they try to optimize their benefits. Getting a second medical opinion is one of many options available to injured workers who hope to make a full recovery.