Work injuries may require trauma care. Major injuries sometimes make physical therapy necessary. In cases involving cumulative trauma or extreme injuries, professionals with work-acquired medical issues may sometimes require surgical interventions.
Surgical procedures can be the best option for treating serious, debilitating or functionally-limiting medical issues. However, surgical procedures generate numerous significant expenses. A surgeon can charge hundreds of dollars per hour for their time. Procedures generally also require the constant support of a licensed anesthesiologist.
How can professionals in need of surgery for work-acquired medical conditions cover those expenses?
Workers’ compensation can help pay for care
People often underestimate the amount of support potentially available through workers’ compensation. The medical coverage offered by workers’ compensation is relatively robust. Professionals can receive 100% coverage without out-of-pocket costs for all medically-necessary treatment expenses.
That coverage can pay for the cost of surgery, medications needed during recovery and any rehabilitative services required after a surgery. Workers’ compensation can even go beyond covering just medical expenses.
Workers who require time off to undergo surgery and to recover after a procedure may be eligible for disability benefits. While disability benefits don’t replace 100% of a worker’s lost wages, they can reduce the financial pressure people experience when they cannot work due to job-acquired illnesses and injuries. Injured workers may also be eligible for partial disability benefits if a surgery doesn’t fully resolve their symptoms.
Pursuing a workers’ compensation claim is sometimes the best option available for injured professionals. Those who need costly medical care and who face a lengthy recovery may need assistance throughout the claims process, and that’s okay.