The workers’ compensation sphere can be confusing, especially once you’ve filed a claim and are awaiting your benefits. You may not realize how many types of workers’ compensation benefits there are, and some sources conflate benefits with claims. To make things a bit easier to understand, we’re going to discuss the various types of workers’ compensation benefits.
Main Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Understanding the benefits that may be available to you is helpful. Bear in mind that the benefits you receive will depend solely on your injury. For example, although you may qualify for medical treatment benefits, your injury may not be debilitating enough to require disability benefits. The workers’ compensation insurance company involved in your case can play an integral part in the benefits you receive, as well.
Medical Treatment Benefits
You’ve experienced a workplace injury during the course of your daily duties. In that case, you can file a workers’ compensation claim so that you can have some help with paying for any medical treatments you need.
Medical treatment benefits typically cover doctor’s appointments, as well as visits to the emergency room or a hospital. This type of workers’ compensation benefit will also cover any medications you need related to your work injury, along with rehabilitation, therapy, and any medical equipment you need for your recovery.
However, your medical treatment benefits won’t necessarily stop there. Sometimes, especially for a more severe injury, you may require extended care. That can occur if a workplace injury results in an additional issue. For example, if you experienced a low back injury that prevented you from sleeping because of severe pain, your doctor may prescribe you a sleep aid. Because lack of sleep is connected to the pain experienced from your on-the-job injury you may be entitled to additional medical benefits and coverage.
It’s worth noting that pharmacy care falls under medical coverage, as well. When you receive medical treatment benefits, any medications related to your injury will be covered. You can rely on IWP, an advocate for injured workers, to fill your prescriptions and ship your medications directly to your home as quickly as possible.
Disability Benefits
Disability benefits, another type of workers’ compensation benefits, come into play when an illness or workplace injury causes you to be disabled in some way. There are four categories of workplace disability characterizations:
Temporary partial disability: This means that you can return to work without needing time off, but you have to return at a reduced capacity. In other words, you may need to continue working in another department or you might only be able to come in for part time hours until you recover.
Temporary total disability: This type of workers’ comp benefit means that you can’t work for a while, but you’ll ultimately be able to come back to work, and you’ll be able to do so at full capacity. You simply have to fully recover first.
Permanent partial disability: This means that, although you can go back to work, your injury will prevent you from resuming your job at the same capacity you had before you got hurt.
Permanent total disability: A PTD injury means that you can’t work and you won’t be able to resume your job.
Rehabilitation Benefits
Your injury may entitle to you to rehabilitation benefits, but those are twofold. Some injured workers require physical rehabilitation for their injury. You may need physical therapy to improve range of motion or strengthen your muscles.
However, rehabilitation benefits include vocational rehab, as well. The nature of your injury may prevent you from resuming the exact duties you did before. At that point, the workers’ compensation system in your state may provide vocational rehabilitation benefits such as retraining, tuition or tuition reimbursement if you want to return to school, an evaluation to determine what you can do, and other resources that can help you to return to work in a different space.
Death and Funeral Service Benefits
Death benefits may kick in when an injured worker dies due to an on-the-job injury or illness. The rules vary from state to state, but in many cases, this type of workers’ compensation benefit will compensate certain family members and dependents for the financial support they lose with the passing of the injured worker. Depending on where you live, the support will cover a set period of time and may be paid in installments or a lump sum. Death benefits may also cover funeral expenses.
Every injury is different. You may not know which type of workers’ compensation benefits you will receive until you discover the full scope of your injury. The benefits you receive can help you to focus on your recovery, which is the most important thing for you to do. To that end, you can always count on IWP to fill your workers’ comp prescriptions.