In the state of Ohio, there are special rules and regulations as set out by the State that employers must adhere to. Work injuries are regulated and managed by the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation. This system is beneficial but usually favors the employer when it comes to work injuries. Most licensed providers in the state of Ohio are BWC certified (meaning they can see injured workers) but only about 5-10% of these providers actually treat injured workers with any regular frequency. Of those providers, only a very small percentage actually understand BWC rules and regulations as well as the plethora of paperwork they are required to complete in order for the injured worker to receive the care they need and require in a timely fashion. Even fewer providers are trained or experienced enough to also fight denials they occur. What this typically results in is very few providers, especially medical doctors, actually accept new BWC patients, often choosing to bill the injured worker's regular health insurance (less headaches, less paperwork and less stress).
As an Injured worker in the state of Ohio, you have many rights, including your choice of provider to help treat you and help manage the paperwork required. Finding the right provider who understand the system, can complete the required paperwork, and will help fight to get treatment and your claim handled is key! Many providers simply do not bother with the added work or are just unable to understand the complexities of BWC.
Employers often push injured employees to providers or facilities they have 'contracts' with, which often leads to injured workers being pushed back to work without appropriate care, often much sooner than they should! This 'contracted' relationship often leads to unfair and incomplete care as these providers often only have the employer's best interest in mind, not the injured workers.
At Tremont Functional Rehab and NorthCoast Rehab, our providers are on the side of the injured worker. Our decades of combined experience and having treated tens of thousands of injured workers in the state ensures that the care our injured workers receive is right for them. We also take pride in understanding and completing all paperwork in a timely fashion as well as fighting when the care requested has been denied.
Other facilities often stop care once they are denied a request or simply provide the same treatment for all patients with the goal of getting as many visits covered as possible, without being concerned about the injured worker's ability to work/return to work and get back to pre-accident status.
These facilities often try 'maximizing' visits from worker's compensation without trying to get injured workers back to normal functional levels. This typically results in these offices being 'flagged' by BWC which often leads to denied treatment requests, increased hearing times as well as delayed care (that is often uncessary).
Our providers, are not only BWC certified, having treated tens of thousands of injured workers, our clinical director and owner is also a Disability Evaluators Panel (DEP) Provider, a special certified group of providers under BWC that are often asked to review and independently evaluate injured workers on appropriate treatment requests and evaluate the allowed conditions on a claim. What this means for the injured worker being treated at our facilities is that our treatment requests are often allowed with very little resistance, and when they are, our experience ensures that treatment is more likely to be allowed through the hearing process.