Precast Inc. - March/April 2008 - (Page 17)

dreamstime.com event while out of state, is eligible for workers’ compensation under the hiring state’s law – not in the state where the injury occurred. Some states limit the time the employee can have been out of state for coverage to apply; some states give the employee the option of claiming coverage under either state. What does workers’ compensation insurance have to do with a Return-to-Work policy? An employer must know what is compensable and what is not; an employer must ensure the injured employee is “covered” under the policy and location of where that policy is in effect in relation to the location of the employee; an employer must know when to file for workers’ compensation versus another type of coverage. Understanding these factors will help determine how to draft and implement a Return-to-Work policy, how benefits and claims are handled by the carrier and, most importantly, how well employee relationships are maintained. The Return-to-Work concept benefits the employee and the employer. It is a fact that getting an employee back to a normal work routine after an injury is therapeutic: It reduces some of the need for external physical therapy; it provides a normal schedule for the injured person and his or her family by getting back to work; it helps the morale and emotional state of the injured employee by getting back to a productive schedule; and it helps the injured employee return to earn a normal paycheck as well as return to work if the governing authority requires a “waiting period” on payment of claims. The employer should try to get the employee back to preinjury status as quickly as possible without compromising the injured’s health or well-being. An occupational medicine physician knows the value of this practice for a faster healing and recovery period, and your insurance carrier knows the value of reducing treatment time, treatment costs and lost-time payment of wages. Some of the employer benefits include cost savings on overtime, staffing, medical treatments, claims costs and other indirect costs associated with the injury. The first thing the employer needs is a written Return-toWork policy that is part of the policy manual or employee handbook. This ensures that all employees as well as treating physicians know your policy. Note that this policy is not to get the employee back to work at the expense or compromise of the employee’s health and recovery. It is intended to help the employee return to a normal schedule and routine after an injury while helping the healing and recovery process. Another benefit for such a policy is the reduction in potential fraudulent claims. If the employer has a written and published policy and an injured employee refuses to come back to work for regular or modified duty after the treating physician approves or prescribes it, the employee may lose all compensation benefits from that point forward. To ensure a physician can provide prescribed restrictions, the employer must have a position description that is detailed and specific to the duties that must be performed normally. The physician must also know that a workers’ compensation injury is exempt from HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), so sharing medical records and treatment with the employer is not a violation of the patient’s confidentiality rights. Not sharing those records with the MARCH/APRIL 2008 | WWW.PRECAST.ORG 17 http://dreamstime.com http://www.precast.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Precast Inc. - March/April 2008

Precast Inc. - March/April 2008 Contents Technically Speaking Concrete Repairs Return-to-Work Programs Marketing in a New World Building Confidence Risk Management Culture Bloquea La Energia – Es Tu Vida! Lock It Out – It’s Your Life! Fiber Optics in Countertops MCPX Wrap-Up Product Profile People & Products Advertisers Index NPCA Calendar

Precast Inc. - March/April 2008

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