The goal of the workers’ compensation system is to help employees return to gainful employment as quickly as possible. However, there are instances where it’s simply impossible for an employee to return to the same position they held prior to their injury. In these instances, the injured employee may qualify for what’s known as rehabilitation services and assistance with a qualified rehabilitation consultant, or QRC.
But how exactly can someone qualify to work with a QRC in Minnesota, and how can the QRC help the employee return to some semblance of normalcy in their career? We answer those questions and more in today’s blog on QRC services.
Am I Qualified To Work With A QRC?
Only injured workers who are considered a “qualified employee” are eligible to receive rehabilitation services or work with a QRC. Minnesota law defines a qualified employee as someone who:
- Is permanently precluded or is likely to be permanently precluded from engaging in the employee’s usual and customary occupation or from engaging in the job the employee held at the time of injury;
- Cannot reasonably be expected to return to suitable gainful employment with the date-of-injury employer; and
- Can reasonably be expected to return to suitable gainful employment through the provision of rehabilitation services, considering the treating physician’s opinion of the employee’s work ability.
If you meet this criteria, and your workers’ compensation claim has been accepted by insurance, you can seek out rehabilitation services or connect with a QRC. Your qualified rehabilitation consultant will be able to sit down with you, review your health limitations, discuss your goals and help you determine a path forward to gainful employment. They may even attend your medical appointments and assist with job searching or on-the-job training to ensure you eventually find your way back to gainful employment.
It’s worth noting that your QRC does not get paid out of your workers’ compensation claim. Your claim remains untouched if you are granted access to rehabilitation services, and you are not responsible for paying for the costs associated with having a QRC assist with your injury case. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer is legally obligated to foot these costs, so don’t back down from working with a QRC if you qualify because you believe you’ll incur additional costs.
From rehabilitation consultations to vocational counseling, retraining, job placement and more, your QRC is a jack-of-all-trades that can help you find a new position or train for a new opportunity in the wake of a work-related injury. Many of these QRCs are wonderful at what they do, but it’s oftentimes wise to move forward with a QRC that your workers’ compensation lawyer has had success with in the past. If you are assigned a QRC after your claim was approved, know that you have 60 days to switch QRCs, otherwise you’ll be required to remain with your original consultant. Talk with your lawyer and inform the insurance company of your decision to switch QRCs if they recommend a specific consultant that they’ve worked with in the past.
For more information about qualifying for rehabilitation services after a work injury, or for assistance filing your injury claim, reach out to the team at Hey Workers today at (844) 439-9675.
