4 Workers Compensation Benefits for Employees get from the Workers Compensation System

Workers Compensation Benefits for Employees when they are injured on the job are determined by each individual state government. The industries in each state can be drastically different from state to state and region to region. For this reason, the responsibility of administering a system of workers compensation is left up to the state governments in the United States. Each state has their own way of administering the system and their own individual types of benefits that are required for policies bought by businesses operating within the particular state. Here are the 4 types of benefits most all states require the policies sold within their state to provide within their workers compensation system.

Medical Benefits

Workers Compensation Coverage pays for necessary medical care to treat injuries or illness that occur because of an injury on the job. Most workers’ compensation insurance policies pay for 100 percent of all reasonable and necessary medical treatment for injuries that occur as a part of normal business operations.  Now there are frequently disagreements over what is “reasonable and necessary” treatment. This is especially true  when doctors and patients disagree on the extent of the injury. It can also become a problem when the doctor and patient disagree on the proper course of treatment.

In most states, Workers Compensation Benefits for Employees have medical benefits are unlimited and occur with no deductible. The payments are made to the facility where the injured employee is cured or given maximum relief. Bills for service go out directly to the insurance carrier where payment is made directly to the healthcare provider.  The only responsibility of the employee is to follow the doctor’s orders.

Income Benefits

Income benefits replace some of the money an injured employee lost during a time in which they lose work because of an injury or illness. In most cases it replaces a portion of any wages lost because of work-related injury or illness. This is the case if the injured employee is not able to work at all or if they are not able to garner the same wages as was earned prior to the injury.

Lost wages benefits are subject to minimum and maximum weekly payments. These amounts are determined by the state governing body within the state that has jurisdiction over the injured employee. Typically this is the state department of insurance. In most states, these defined limits are dependent upon the severity of the injury sustained and the expected term of the resulting condition. Injury severity is most commonly classified as either partial or total. Depending upon this classification the injured employee is placed into either a temporary or permanent status. benefit amounts are based on a combination of all of these factors.

Typically the amount of benefits an injured employee is paid amounts to two thirds of their average weekly wages. This is if they are not able to resume their previous position or some other light duty work, even if it is at a lower wage. If the injured worker does return to work at a lower wage, workers comp will make to make up the difference between the two positions. In cases where an injured employee receives a permanent loss of function or the loss of a body part, workers compensation may pay additional compensation.

Workers Compensation Systems are governed by the state governments. Each situation is dependent upon the laws and regulations of each individual state. Checking with the state governing body is the best place to receive the most accurate information.

Death Benefits

Death Benefits are an additional Workers Compensation Benefits for Employees who have been killed because of an accident that occurs on the job. This benefit will replace a portion of the lost income a family will face because of the deceased family member. In order to collect death benefits the family member must be an eligible dependent. To be an eligible dependent who can collect death benefits within the workers comp system the death must occur within a certain period of time following a work-related injury and a request for death benefits must be made within a specified period of time following the death of the family member. In many states, a surviving spouse can collect death benefits for the rest of their life in many instances. This lasts until the spouse remarries. If there are dependent children when the employee dies, the children get half the benefits and the additional half goes to the spouse.

Burial Benefits

One often forgotten Workers Compensation Benefits for Employees is that most workers compensation policies will pay for some of a deceased employee’s funeral expenses. In some states it is a requirement to include burial benefits in all workers comp policies. Now the requirement is only up to a certain amount. If the family decides for an expensive casket, the additional cost is the responsibility of the family, but the work comp policy will cover some of the expenses during this difficult time.