An injured worker going through the workers’ compensation process will likely be tasked with attending doctors’ appointments, scheduling and attending hospital visits, obtaining necessary medical equipment and prescription medications, and participating in physical therapy. The main goal for this process is to get you healthy and back to work, or to determine if there is a physical concern that will keep you from resuming work activities.
In some cases, the workers’ compensation insurance carrier may employ a nurse case manager to assist the injured worker with these tasks. It is important that the injured worker understands his or her rights during the workers’ compensation process, and the limits of the nurse case manager’s role.
The majority of nurse case managers are registered nurses. They may, with the patient’s permission, attend doctors’ and hospital appointments, and communicate with the patient and the authorized physician about the patient’s treatment. A nurse case managers role also includes:
- Helping an injured worker to obtain the medical care that he or she needs.
- Serving as a liaison between all parties involved in the workers’ compensation process, including doctors, the injured worker, the employer and the insurance company.
- Providing information to an insurance adjuster regarding doctors’ visits and treatment authorization.
For the physician, the case manager is incredibly important, because they can facilitate the accurate communication between the patient and treating physician.
Florida Sportsmedicine and Orthopaedics is a leader in diagnosing and treating work-related injuries. Our board-certified orthopedic surgeon and staff understand the Florida workers’ compensation system, and our treatment plans focus on the injured employee to obtain maximum medical improvement (MMI) as quickly as possible.
Our practice has experience and expertise in treating the full spectrum of work-related injuries. We take pride in our reports and our timely communications, and aim to maintain the utmost level of professionalism for both the employer and the employee.
Our program features:
- Same-day or next-day appointments
- Instant response to referring physicians
- Prompt evaluation and treatment of work-related injuries
- Timely work status reports
- Concise exam notes and credible reports generated quickly after the exam
- Effective communication with employers, adjusters, and case managers
