Tennessee protections for workers hurt on the job

If you’ve suffered a serious injury while at work, you are entitled to receive a number of medical benefits in Tennessee. Your treating physician, a physician who must be authorized to provide the care you’re receiving, must sign off on those treatments for them to be covered by your workers’ compensation or other benefit coverage. If your doctor agrees, then the benefits could cover items such as eye wear, hospitalization, psychological services and medicine, to name just a few.

As long as you work for an employer who has workers’ compensation in accordance with the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Act and suffered your injury at work, you are entitled to receive medical care after suffering an injury. In all cases, the workers’ compensation provider must approve your injury as one caused by a workplace accident. If you are denied, then you will need to file an appeal to access workers’ compensation. This is something you can discuss with your attorney or advocate.

If you are approved, you receive immediate rights to medical care for the injury and all payments should be made through the insurance company, not through you. You will also receive the right to have any future medical expenses related to your injury taken care off by the insurance provider.

Some future benefits that you may need include surgeries, medications, supplies, medications, nursing care or psychological services. Others may include dental work, prescription eyeglasses or eye wear, crutches or other medical equipment. All your medical costs must be paid by your employer so long as you have been approved for workers’ compensation coverage.

Source: Tennessee Department of Labor & Workforce Development, “Medical Benefits,” accessed Dec. 07, 2016