When you get hurt at work or something you work with makes you sick, you probably understand that you have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim. However, if you’re like most Connecticut employees, your understanding of the system stops about there.
You may know that there are medical benefits and disability benefits, but figuring out which benefits you need and how to qualify for them can be an uphill struggle. There are multiple benefits available to injured workers under the Connecticut workers’ compensation system. Each of these benefits to go a long way toward reducing the impact of a workplace injury on your life and your finances.
Medical coverage benefits
Whether you have a premium health insurance plan or no personal health coverage at all, you won’t need to make a claim because workers’ compensation covers 100% of all of the necessary treatment associated with a work-acquired injury or illness.
Hospitalization, rehabilitative care and even surgeries or ongoing prescription drugs are all covered through workers’ compensation benefits. Unlike with health insurance coverage, workers won’t have to pay any kind of coinsurance, co-pay or deductible.
Disability benefits
Connecticut technically has five different classifications for disability benefits. The most commonly used is short-term disability coverage. When you will recover, short-term, total or partial disability can cover some of your missed wages. Temporary partial disability covers the difference between the wages you usually make and your temporarily reduced income, while temporary total disability replaces your wages while you can’t work at all.
For those whose medical condition will have a permanent effect on their work abilities and earning potential, permanent disability benefits are available. Permanent total disability protects those unable to go back to work ever again, while permanent partial disability protects those who can work but in a less-skilled and lower-earning field.
There are also recurrence or relapse benefits which help protect a worker if their condition comes back after they initially return to work. Some workers can also receive additional discretionary benefits in rare circumstances.
Job retraining
For those who have long-term consequences from their work-acquired medical condition, such as those with a brain injury or a lost limb, job retraining can be a way to help them regain some of their earning potential and get back out into the workforce. The state can cover the cost of helping someone acquire the skills they need to be competitive in the current job market.
Understanding what you can qualify for is the first step toward getting the workers’ compensation benefits you need when you have a serious medical condition because of the work that you do.
