When an employee is injured at work, she is entitled to medical and financial benefits under workers' compensation insurance. Many work injuries involve the back, and an employee may find that chiropractic care is helpful in treating a work-related back injury. The insurance carrier is obligated to pay for all medical costs that you can demonstrate are directly related to your work injury. Laws regarding workers' compensation vary from state to state, but all require the carrier to cover medical costs associated with a work injury. According to the chiropractic information site DC Doctor, chiropractic care is relatively quick and cost-efficient in terms of returning an injured employee to work.
Step 1
Get your injury accepted as work-related by the insurance carrier for your employer's workers' compensation policy. If you have not already done so, file a first report of injury with your state's labor department. In some states it will be your employer's responsibility to do this--in Vermont, for example, the employer must file a Form 1 report of injury with the Department of Labor. If the employer fails to do so, the injured worker may report the injury to the department via a Form 5.
Step 2
Get your doctor to write you a prescription for chiropractic treatment. Make sure that the doctor's prescription and accompanying medical note mention that this chiropractic treatment is for your work-related injury. Avoid activities outside of work that could be implicated in your injury. For example, if you engage in sporting activities such as kayaking or hockey while receiving chiropractic care for your work injury, the insurance carrier may use this information to argue that your activities outside of work are causing or aggravating the injury. If the carrier can prove your injury is not work-related, it can stop paying for medical care associated with the injury.
Step 3
Attend all doctor's and chiropractic appointments scheduled on your behalf. Failure to attend prescribed medical appointments and treatment can be viewed as medical noncompliance. If you are deemed to be noncompliant with the medical treatment for your work injury, the insurance carrier can petition the state labor department to stop payment for this treatment.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have not done so already, establish a relationship with a primary care physician for your work-related injury. A doctor who knows you and your history is more likely to prescribe chiropractic care if that is what you want. The insurance company will look for medical records showing that your injury happened at work or was caused by your job. If the carrier does not initially accept your injury as work-related, you may need to provide further medical proof or legal argument through an experienced workers' compensation attorney.
- None of the information above is intended as legal advice, and should not be taken as such. Only a licensed and experienced attorney can offer legal advice in workers' compensation cases.
