All municipalities have systems to report injuries. Whether it's in person or telehealth, you typically get assigned a provider to manage your case. It is important to know that once you initiate care with a provider, you have the right to change that provider. (New Paragraph) For example, if you have your own primary care Doc, after the initial report and initiation of care, you can switch to your own Doctor to have them manage your treatment. The only caveat is that their office has to take your worker's comp insurance.
Sometimes if you need to see a specialist, you might feel stuck in choosing a specialist the worker's comp insurance company recommends. You have the right to choose whichever specialist you want.
Once your case is closed, sometimes it will feel like the door is shut forever. That's not entirely true. In most cases there is a 90 day window to reopen a case if you flare it up or aggravate your injury, and you don't have to open a new case. Also, depending on the nature of the injury, you may qualify for a supportive care award for a period of time to help maintain your injury and minimize any regression that might occur.
Let's face it, nobody wants to report a little nagging ache or pain. You don't want to be "that guy". Yet when it comes to worker's comp, having a documented history of mild work related injuries without seeking care can help you build a case for when you really need it. Just because you write it up doesn't mean you're taken off the truck or off the street, or that you actually have to engage in healthcare. (Next Paragraph) For example, you're training and you tweak your shoulder. Write it up. A year later you're on a call and tweak it again, but it goes away in a few days. Write it up. A year later you tweak it again, but this time it's bad, and you might need surgery. When an MRI is done and it shows a tear with chronic issues, you may get denied because the injury could be deemed as "pre-existing". Since you have documented previous injuries, there is a case that it's all work related. If you didn't document over the years, you could be stuck taking care of it on your own.
The truth is, the primary goal of each insurance company is to make money. And HR for your municipality and department can have a lot of plates spinning at the same time. In order for you to get the treatment you need, you have to put in the work, follow up, and stay in the loop. If you have questions, we have a lot of experience, and we can help point you in the right direction.