AUGUST 2010
C
alifornia law guarantees certain benefits to
employees who are injured or become ill
because of their jobs.
Any job related injury or illness is covered.
Types of injuries include, but may not be
limited to, strains, sprains, cuts, cumulative
or repetitive traumas, fractures, illnesses and
aggravations. Some injuries from voluntary,
off duty, recreational, social or athletic
activity may not be covered. Check with
your supervisor or Keenan HealthCare if
you have any questions.
All work related injuries must be reported
to your supervisor immediately. Don’t
delay. There are time limits. If you wait too
long, you may lose your right to benefits.
Your employer is required to provide you a
claim form within one working day after
learning about your injury.
It is a misdemeanor for an employer to
discriminate against workers who are
injured on the job or who testify in another
employee’s case. Any such employee may
be entitled to compensation, reinstatement
and reimbursement for lost wages and
benefits.
Me
dical Care – All medical treatment,
without a deductible or dollar limit. For
dates of injury on or after 1/1/04 there is a
limit of 24 chiropractic, 24 physical therapy
and 24 occupational therapy visits. However
this limit does not apply for post surgical
treatment. Costs are paid directly by Keenan
HealthCare, through your employers
workers’ compensation program, so you
should never see a bill.
If emergency treatment is required go to the
nearest emergency room or contact 911.
Keenan HealthCare will arrange medical
treatment, often by a specialist for the
particular injury. Preferred Provider
Networks may be utilized for physicians as
well as medical care centers.
If your employer offers group health
insurance you are eligible to treatment with
your personal physician should you become
injured on the job. If you are eligible,
before you are injured
, you must notify
your employer in writing and provide your
employer written documentation from your
personal physician that they agree to be
predesignated. Your personal physician
must be your regular primary care physician
who previously directed your medical
treatment, who retains your medical history
and records. You may only predesignate
your primary care physician if they are a
family practitioner, general practitioner,
board certified or board eligible internist,
obstetrician-gynecologist, pediatrician or a
multi-specialty medical group, whose
practice is predominantly for non-
occupational injuries and illnesses.
Your employer may be using a Medical
Provider Network (MPN), which is a
selected group of health care providers to
provide treatment to workers injured on the
job. If you have predesignated a personal
physician prior to your work injury, then
you may receive treatment from your
predesignated doctor. If you have not
predesignated and your employer is using
and MPN, you are free to choose an
appropriate provider from the MPN list
after the first medical visit directed by your
employer or Keenan & Associates. For
more information, see the MPN contact
information on reverse side.
If your employer does not
participate in a
Medical Provider Network (MPN) you may
be able to change your treating physician to
your personal chiropractor or acupuncturist.
Generally your employer, or Keenan, has
the right to select your treating physician
within the first 30 days after your employer
knows of your injury or illness. After your
employer, or Keenan, initiates treatment
you may, upon request, have your treatment
transferred to your personal chiropractor or
acupuncturist. To be eligible you must
notify your employer in writing prior to
being injured.
Workers’ compensation benefits include