Many work injury scenarios only involve temporary medical challenges. Workers with broken bones or soft tissue injuries require workers’ compensation benefits for care and to help cover their wages while they take time off from work to recover.
Employees generally only receive medical benefits until their conditions improve. Disability benefits typically also only last for as long as a health challenge forces a worker to take a leave of absence or move to a lower-paid position due to functional limitations. For most employees, workers’ compensation benefits end when their health improves. However, some workers never make a full recovery. They have debilitating medical issues that are likely to continue affecting their daily lives and work performance indefinitely.
What happens when a work-related medical issue inspires permanent symptoms that affect a worker’s career?
Doctors must affirm ongoing symptoms
Eligibility for various workers’ compensation benefits depends in no small part on how health care professionals interpret the situation. If a doctor asserts that a worker could improve with proper treatment, the worker likely needs to follow medical instructions and continue undergoing care.
When a doctor reaches the conclusion that a patient is unlikely to improve even with continued medical care, the benefits available may change. Once a doctor asserts that a worker has achieved maximum medical improvement (MMI), workers’ compensation may no longer pay for treatment. The worker may still qualify for medical benefits related to symptom management.
They may also be eligible for permanent disability benefits. There are both partial and total disability benefits available depending on the extent of the workers’ symptoms. If the professional can no longer work at all, they may qualify for permanent total disability benefits until they reach retirement age.
Otherwise, they may be eligible for permanent partial disability benefits. Depending on the circumstances, those benefits may consist of a lump-sum payment based on the nature of the injury or may provide ongoing benefits to supplement the worker’s wages because of their diminished earning potential.
Workers may have questions about their benefits eligibility after an MMI designation. They may want to appeal the decision or may need help pursuing permanent disability benefits. Learning about the rules that apply to different types of workers’ compensation claims can help injured employees get the support they deserve. Workers coping with permanent injuries often need support as they navigate the bureaucratic processes necessary to secure permanent benefits, and that’s okay.
