After a work injury or in the wake of surgery, it’s common for injured workers to be prescribed medications to aid in recovery or assist with pain. The cost of your prescriptions can vary based on a number of different factors, but if your need for medication was the result of a work injury, can you recoup these costs? We explain how medication costs are handled by workers’ compensation in Minnesota in today’s blog.
Does Work Comp Cover Medication Expenses?
Any medication that you are prescribed or advised to take by a medical professional as a result of your work injuries will be considered a compensable part of your medical claim. From expensive medications to over-the-counter options, if the medication has been prescribed or recommended by your treating physician or a member of your care team like a physical therapist, you will be able to be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses through a workers’ compensation claim.
The biggest thing to note when it comes to collecting compensation for medication or any medical expenses for that matter is that they need to either help to maintain your current level of ability or help you make progress in your recovery. The workers’ compensation system is designed to help you make as full of a recovery as possible, as quickly as possible. If any medical treatment is not either helping you maintain a level of function or progress in your recovery, it may be deemed unnecessary. When this happens, the workers’ compensation insurance provider can stop compensating you for this expense.
So what happens if the insurance company deems that your medication is no longer necessary for your recovery? You have a couple of options. For starters, you’ll want to review any changes to your medical condition as documented by your treating physician. If they still deem that medication is a helpful part of your recovery, then you should easily be able to prove the medication expenses are still compensable. If your doctor no longer believes that medications are helping with your recovery, you’ll have two main options:
Second Opinion – You can seek out a second medical opinion if you disagree with your current medical recommendations. If a second physician agrees that medication is a key component of your current treatment plan, you can petition to have the costs recouped through your compensation claim. You may get a little pushback from the insurance company, but with a doctor’s recommendation and a strong claim put together by an attorney, there’s a high likelihood that you’ll be compensated for medication costs.
Pay Out Of Pocket/Stop Medications – If you don’t want to seek a second opinion, or you do and they agree with the original physician that medications are no longer aiding in your recovery, you’ll either have to accept the fact that you’ll need to pay out of pocket for whatever your insurance doesn’t cover, or you’ll have to stop taking the medication.
As long as medications are considered necessary for your health, they’ll be compensable through your workers’ compensation claim. We’d be happy to help file this claim and get you all the benefits you deserve. If your status changes and the insurance company no longer agrees with paying for your medications, we can review your case and provide you with a professional opinion for moving forward.
For more information about collecting compensation for medication or other medical expenses, give the team at Hey Workers a call today at (844) 439-9675.
