A worker’s compensation is an insurance provided by the company for their employees. The worker’s compensation can pay for the hospital bills and medicines, rehabilitation fees, lost wages and other benefits whenever an employee gets sick because of his job or if he sustains an injury that is work-related or while working on duty.  

Workers compensation for health care workers is pretty straight forward. For healthcare workers to be qualified for a worker’s compensation you must have these requirements:

1. The employer must be required by the law to give worker’s compensation to its employees. Unfortunately, different jurisdictions have different state laws that have unique set of rules that guides which companies or employers are required to provide worker’s compensation. Some states allow employers with less than 3 employees to not give workers compensation coverage to the employees. So, check with your state laws and make sure that your employer has coverage for you.
2. You must be a health care worker employee. This requirement seems simple enough but unfortunately going to and working inside the company building does not necessarily mean you are an employee of that company. Some workers are what is called an independent contractor and unfortunately, they are not covered with workers compensation. So you must check your status with the company you are working for and make sure that you are an employee and not an independent contractor.
3. Injuries and/or illnesses must be work-related. Injuries and or illnesses that were sustained while doing your job for the company is considered work-related injury therefore should be covered by worker’s compensation.

If you are sure that you satisfy the above requirements, then filing for a worker’s compensation would be easy.

1. The first step in filing for worker’s compensation is by immediately informing your employer, based on company guidelines, whenever you have been injured in the workplace. If your illness was sustained through a period of time, it is important that you inform your employer by reporting any illness or injuries you have experienced.
2. Visit a doctor immediately. Some companies have doctors employed by the company onsite or sometimes, companies have specific hospitals that they are affiliated with. If that is the case, then having the medical check-ups or tests performed by these company affiliated doctors or hospitals would be more convenient for you. During the check up or tests, you must specify to the doctor that the injury or illness is work-related and therefore covered by the workers compensation. Any doctor’s fees, medicine, treatment and rehabilitation costs as well as hospitalization costs will be paid for by the company.
3. Within the limited time set by your company, you must file a formal report to your company regarding the incident that led to the injury and/or illness. The doctor or hospital will coordinate to make certain any further compensation available to the injured worker can be given.
4. Visit the doctor for follow-ups. For injuries that prevent you from working full-time or from working at all, you must follow up with the doctor to see when you are fully recovered and when you can return to working full-time. This way, compensation can be continued or severed accordingly.

Workplaces have to be kept safe by the employers for their employees as mandated by federal and state laws. However, accidents may still happen despite safety precautions and relatively safe environment in the workplace. Accidents are often unpredictable and it can strike anyone, anytime. Thus, workers compensation is put in place to make sure that if accidents do occur in the workplace or if employees get sick due to the nature of their job, they won’t have to worry for the expenses and lost wages. Workers compensation works as a form of insurance for employees provided fully by their employer. Benefits of worker’s compensation includes: medical care, rehabilitation cost, disability payments and in case of death, death insurance is paid out to the closest relative.

1. Medical Care benefits – Upon getting injured or getting sick, hospitalization is the immediate need. So workers compensation must really include this benefit. Under medical care, the hospital payment for treatment and tests are included in the compensation. If surgeries are needed then that is included too. Therapy and other after care therapy are usually paid for as long as they considered by medical practitioners as established medical practices that are proven to be effective. Experimental medical therapies and treatment are usually not included in the medical care benefits. However, what is included and not included may vary from state to state as to what are mandatory. Some employers also offer more than what is mandatory by the state. In some cases, employers also put a cap or limit to how much they can spend for your medical care. It is better to inquire with your company’s policies.
2. Rehabilitation Care Benefit – So some injuries require a person to take rehabilitation in order to regain the skills or cope with the result of the injury. Rehabilitation can be in a form of physical therapy and/or retraining programs. The cost of rehabilitation care should be covered under the workers compensation benefits.
3. Disability Benefits – Some injuries can be severe and result to disability. Disability is categorized into four types – temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, permanent total disability and permanent partial disability. If your injury resulted to a disability in any form, you are bound to get a form of payment. For temporary disabilities, the pay will stop once the doctors’ evaluation say that you have fully recovered and is able to return to normal activities.
4. Death Benefits – Some accidents that happen in the workplace can be very severe that it can result to death. When that happens, death benefits are in order for the dependents of the worker. Usually it is the spouse and kids that receive the payment, but parents who are dependent can also be given benefits. Some companies require the employees write their beneficiaries on their form for this purpose – to know who the beneficiaries will be in case of death. Apart from payment, which can be given in lump sum or other form, the benefits will also cover the cost for the funeral and burial expenses.