Worker’s Comp Physicals
Ensuring Workplace Safety
When you file a workers’ compensation claim after a work-related injury, you may be asked by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier to be seen by a healthcare provider.
The first step in the workers’ compensation application process is to notify your employer of the injury. If that is not possible due to the severity of your injuries, seek medical care immediately, but inform your employer of the injury within 30 days. Regardless of when you seek medical treatment, the treating provider will complete a medical report.
At the conclusion of your workers compensation physical, the provider conducting this exam will issue a report to your workers’ compensation insurance company.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do You Have to have a Workers' Compensation exam?
Workers’ compensation insurance companies can, and often do, require you to undergo an exam after your injury.
What to Expect at Your IME
A workers compensation exam is different from a traditional medical examination. The provider conducting the exam will be much more narrowly focused on determining the extent of your work injury and assessing whether and when you can return to work. The practitioner is required to report the findings to the workers compensation insurance carrier after the exam.
What Do Workers Compensation Exams Measure?
The provider conducting your exam will be looking at several factors during the examination, such as:
- Check of blood pressure, oxygen saturation, heart rate and rhythm
- Review of the worker and the family’s medical history
- any previous workers comp injuries
- Circumstances of the injury
- Evaluation of the injury
The practitioner will likely perform a series of tests on you to determine the nature and severity of your symptoms. He or she may also ask you to try to do certain tasks to assess the extent of your injuries.
Treatments that are important for your recovery will be discussed. You may be referred to physical therapy or require activity restrictions upon returning to work.
You will follow up for treatment of the work related injury with an occupational medicine provider of your choosing. You will be responsible for choosing and scheduling with the occupational medicine clinic. It is advisable to check with your workers compensation insurance provider to decide which clinics are covered for occupational medicine.