Flushing, Queens, Brooklyn, Bronx, NYC, Garden City, Nassau & Suffolk County NY Attorneys
Practice Areas
- Car Accidents
- Construction Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- Wrongful Death
- Workers Compensation
- Slip and Fall Accidents
- Ladder & Scaffold Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Building & Sidewalk Accidents
- Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Nursing Home Negligence
- Birth Injury
- DWI Defense
- Hit & Run Accidents
- Swimming Pool Injuries
- Boating Accidents
- Dog Bite & Animal Attacks
- Brain and Head Injuries
- Spinal Cord Injuries
FAQs About Medical Treatment Under Workers Compensation
How Does Workers Comp Cover Medical Treatment?
Workers compensation covers medical expenses for work related injuries of valid claims. It reimburses the injured worker for all medical treatment that was “reasonable and necessary.” Typically, this includes doctor visits, prescription drugs, surgery, hospitalization, urgent care treatment and rehabilitation. Injured workers must abide by workers comp guidelines when notifying medical professionals about their work related injury. It is common for questions to arise about this process and how it works. The following are a few frequently asked questions.
What Are New York Workers Compensation Medical Treatment Guidelines (MTGs)?
According to the New York State Workers Compensation Board, Medical Treatment Guidelines are standards that the Board legislatively mandated that govern the delivery of health care to injured workers. Mandatory standards of care exist for a variety of injuries, including the following types:
- Neck
- Back
- Shoulder
- Knee
- Elbow
- Foot and ankle
- Hip and groin
- Hand
- Wrist and forearm (including Carpal Tunnel Syndrome)
- Occupational Interstitial Lung Disease
- Occupational/Work-Related asthma,
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Acute Stress Disorder
- Work-Related Depression
- Depressive Disorders
- Non-Acute Pain
These guidelines have the purpose of establishing a single standard of care so workers can get appropriate treatment and improved medical outcomes within a timely manner.
Must medical treatment for workers compensation be authorized prior to receiving the care?
It is not necessary to receive pre-authorized approval when the provider is following the MTGs. Reasonable and necessary treatment fall into the category of pre-authorized treatment. That said, medical providers can also obtain approval prior to rendering services.
Do Medical Treatment Guidelines apply to long-term medical care?
Generally speaking, long-term medical care applies when the worker has reached maximum medical improvement but has a permanent disability. Workers compensation refers to the treatment as Ongoing Maintenance Care (OMC). The worker would be in a state of chronic pain and would need ongoing maintenance care to offset a decline in the condition. MTGs apply for this type of long-term medical care as well.
Do you have further questions about medical care under New York workers compensation?
Sackstein, Sackstein & Lee, LLPand schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys. We can discuss your claim. .
Call us toll free at 888.519.6400, or contact us in Garden City at 516.248.2234, or in Flushing-Queens, Brooklyn or the Bronx at 718.539.3100. You can also fill in our contact form, and we will get in touch with you.
We know you take your injury seriously, and so do we.
Find out how we can help.
“Our Family Helping Yours Since 1952”
With offices throughout New York City and Long Island the personal injury attorneys at Sackstein Sackstein & Lee, LLP, assist accident victims throughout New York, including the cities of Manhattan (NYC), Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Flushing, Bayside, College Point, Jamaica, Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, Corona, Long Island City, Elmont, Forest Hills, Ozone Park, Springfield Gardens, Rosedale, Laurelton, Hollis, Ridgewood, Nassau, Hempstead, Elmont, Mineola, Freeport, Garden City, Uniondale, Westbury, Roosevelt, East Meadow, Levittown, Franklin Square, New Hyde Park, Williston Park, Valley Stream, as well as the communities in and around Nassau County and Suffolk County.