Does your employer carry workers’ compensation insurance? Certain businesses in New York must have workers’ comp from private insurance, the New York State Insurance Fund, or self-insurance.
If you are filing for workers’ compensation benefits in New York state, it’s essential that you find the right workers’ comp doctors for your work-related injuries. In some states, an employer or insurer may be entitled to control the medical professional that a claimant sees, but fortunately, New York is not one of these states.
In New York, workers’ comp filers are free to consult with any health care provider or independent medical examiner who has been authorized to register with the New York State (NYS) Workers’ Compensation Board. Claimants may use the board’s New York database to find providers who are qualified to handle workers’ comp cases. Finding the best doctor can be difficult, though, if you’re not sure what you’re looking for. Read this guide to learn how to find the best workmen compensation doctors in New York
Find the Right Specialist for Your Injury
Finding the right specialist for your injury is a vital part of your recovery and workers’ comp claim. Depending on the type of injury you’ve sustained, you may need to see one or more of the following medical specialists in order to seek treatment.
Orthopedist
Orthopedic doctors assess, diagnose, and treat medical conditions concerning the spine. This includes the bones, ligaments, joints, muscles, and tendons in the surrounding areas, too. An orthopedist is one of the best workers’ comp doctors to consult with if your injury affected your back.
Examples of common back injuries include herniated disks, sprains, and fractured vertebra. If you suspect that you may have suffered from any of these injuries while on the job, it’s essential to see an orthopedist and get a diagnosis as soon as possible.
Neurologist
One of the most dangerous types of injuries for employees is traumatic brain injury (TBI). Brain injuries can result from a seemingly minor bump to the head, so it’s important to see workmen compensation doctors after any trauma to the head. Neurologists are doctors who focus on head trauma and brain injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.
Symptoms of TBI include confusion, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and seizures, so if you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, it’s imperative that you see a neurologist. According to the Center for Disease Control, over 60,000 people die from TBI-related injuries each year. Concussions are lesser head injuries that also necessitates prompt medical attention.
Pain Management
In some cases, a workplace injury may leave you with lasting pain that’s difficult to deal with. Even after treatment, the pain may linger, compromising your ability to live life fully. What do you do when chronic pain won’t go away? A pain management doctor can help you address the problem and mitigate its impact on your life. Pain management doctors work closely with patients to develop strategies for minimizing pain.
These strategies can include options such as the following:
- Prescription medications such as Tramadol, Duloxetine, or Venlafaxine
- Alternative medicine options acupuncture
- Diet alteration to reduce inflammation throughout the body
If pain is inhibiting your ability to complete daily tasks, it may be time to consult with a pain management workers’ compensation New York doctor.
Psychiatry
An injury of any kind can harm more than just your physical self. Injuries are also often a source of psychological trauma, too, with some studies revealing a link to post-traumatic stress disorder. It’s unsurprising, then, that some workers’ comp claimants would need treatment for more than just their physical injuries. In such cases, a psychiatrist can be an invaluable resource for helping injured workers overcome trauma and regain their psychological wellness. A psychiatrist can refer you to a therapist, prescribe medication to alleviate psychological symptoms or offer alternative treatment options.
Chiropractor
Chiropractors offer a valuable service to workers who have suffered back injuries on the job. A chiropractor specializes in adjustments to a patient’s spinal cord and neck. These adjustments are typically done by manually manipulating the area with pressure and applying sudden force to reduce subluxation. Chiropractic treatment is commonly reported to alleviate back pain, headaches, and a host of other ailments that can result from injuries on the job. Many chiropractors are qualified to handle cases for workers’ compensation in New York, too.
Physical Therapist
Sometimes a workplace injury leaves you with a limited range of motion. If you hurt your neck, for example, you may find yourself unable to turn it fully from side to side. A physical therapist is a healthcare provider who focuses on exercises and therapeutic modalities that are designed to restore range of motion and alleviate pain, too.
A physical therapist can help you address a wide range of problems, and this form of treatment is often beneficial because it implements a long-term approach to the recovery process. You may need continuous treatment in order to overcome your injury, and physical therapy offers it.
Find the Best Doctors Who Deal with Workers’ Compensation in New York
Once you’ve determined what kind of health care provider you need to see, finding the best one is important. Medical care is a collaboration between a patient and their provider, especially when the treatment in question is linked to a workers’ compensation in a New York case. When looking for the best workers’ comp doctors, you should be selective and weigh your options against specific criteria.
Look for the following characteristics in a workers’ compensation doctor in New York:
Familiar With Workers’ Comp Cases
In order to consult on an injury, that’s part of a workers’ comp case, health care providers in the state of New York must be authorized and registered members of the Workers’ Compensation Board. What are the requirements for this authorization? How does a doctor register for authorization? Health care professionals such as doctors, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, and more can become authorized providers by applying and completing a mandated training program that’s tailored to the provider’s specialization and profession. Training will acquaint health care providers with the protocol of handling workers’ comp cases, including how to document injuries, what questions to ask patients, and how to file workers’ comp report documents with the state of New York.
Willing to Provide Referrals
Another important aspect of workers’ comp cases is patients’ access to referrals. Sometimes you may have an appointment with a provider who doesn’t specialize in the area of your injury. In such a case, you will need to be referred to another specialist who can adequately treat you. Some health care providers are hesitant or unable to give referrals — or a referral may simply get lost in transit — so it’s important that you find a provider who will help you find the right treatment options — even if it means sending you elsewhere. An effective doctor may even provide a referral to another provider for a second opinion on your injury. This can help you support your workers’ comp case and verify the nature and severity of your injury.
Focused on Collaboration for Your Case
Perhaps the most important trait to look for in workers’ comp doctors is their willingness to collaborate in your care. Your treatment and recovery are dependent upon your relationship with your provider, and that relationship should involve listening from both parties. When you’re working with a medical professional to diagnose and treat an injury that happened on the job, it’s essential that they take the time to understand not just the injury, but also the circumstances surrounding the injury, too. A good provider will work with you to develop specific recovery goals and offer the tools you need to reach those goals.
Comes With Positive Reputation
So how do you know where to find a great health care provider? How do you ensure your doctor will be compassionate and collaborative? Meeting a new provider is always a gamble, but you can improve your chances of finding the right one by looking to a vetted source. Provider directories like Workers’ Comp Doctor offer access to providers with a wide range of specialties, and their staff is dedicated exclusively to serving workers’ comp patients. This can help you minimize wasted time and ensure that you get the care you need as soon as possible.
Partner With an Advocate
A directory dedicated to connecting patients with workers comp doctors offers plenty of benefits. Of course, you can count on access to health care providers who are experienced in handling workers’ comp cases — but that’s not the only benefit. Another important perk is the advocacy that such a directory offers you. When you consult with Workers Comp Doctor.com, you can be sure that your needs will be prioritized, and your care will be unparalleled. We understand how traumatic a workplace injury can be, and that’s why we partner with workers’ comp claimants to achieve justice.
Find The Best Treatment Options
When you go to an independent doctor’s office, you are limited to the treatment options that one particular provider can offer. Sometimes, you aren’t even seen by an appropriate specialist, and you may struggle to get a referral to the right provider. Using a workers’ comp doctor directory can help you to avoid this problem and ensure that you access a provider who’s suited to your needs. If you need additional care, being seen by a different specialist is no problem. With all providers working under the same umbrella — Workers’ Comp Doctor — you can easily find the best treatment option with minimal inconvenience.
Enjoy the Benefits of Collaboration
It isn’t uncommon for patients to see multiple providers, and when they do, collaboration is key. Problems arise when a patient works with multiple health care providers and those providers fail to communicate. Care can only be effective when it’s collaborative between all providers and the patient. When you visit a single directory of workers’ comp doctors, you never need to worry about a lack of communication between different doctors. All of your providers operate under the same umbrella and prioritize your care above all else.
Understand Your Case
Some patients struggle to understand their case when it’s in the hands of a health care provider they don’t know and don’t trust. You might even struggle to get straight answers about your diagnosis and prospective treatment plan. At Workers’ Comp Doctor, we ensure that you have the answers you need so that you understand your case fully. Advocating for yourself is an important part of the workers’ comp process, and you can’t advocate for yourself effectively if you don’t understand your own injuries. Our health care providers will give you a clear diagnosis and explanation of your injury.
Get the Advice and Guidance You Need
Sometimes, you simply need advice from a trusted consultant. Workers’ Comp Doctor aims to offer the care that you need as well as the advocacy and advice that you seek. Going through the workers’ comp process is complicated and stressful, and it’s not uncommon to seek support while you’re going through it. That’s why we offer psychological services in addition to our physical care services. You can count on our mental health providers to help you handle the psychological effects of your injury and the workers’ comp process that follows.
A Workers’ Comp Health Care Provider Directory
Finding the right health care provider after an injury can be just as stressful as the injury itself. This is especially true when you’re in the midst of a contentious, complicated workers’ comp case. You need access to support and guidance in addition to the physical care your body requires. You need to make sure that the doctors are authorized by the NYS Workers Compensation Board to treat injured workers.
That’s why Workers’ Comp Doctor is the top directory of healthcare providers for New York State workers’ compensation claims. They offer comprehensive treatment options from providers across a range of medical specializations. Trust us to connect you with a compassionate and effective healthcare provider. Doctors in our free directory accept workers’ compensation insurance, no-fault, PIP, and other health insurance plans. Call (888) 590-4030 to learn more, schedule an appointment, or reach out to us online with any questions you may have.
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/traumaticbraininjury/data/index.html
http://www.wcb.ny.gov/health-care-provider-search/
https://www.aafp.org/news/practice-professional-issues/20180130ehrreferrals.html
https://emj.bmj.com/content/19/5/400