If you've filed a claim for worker's compensation, you will have a nurse case manager assigned to you. This is an individual you may see each time you have a doctor's appointment. So, just who is this person and what do they do? Read on to find out.
The jobs of a nurse case manager
Their primary role is to get you healthy so you can go back to work, while keeping costs under control. This person may arrange your medical appointments and discusses your medical care and treatment plans with your physicians.
They cannot have a say-so in how fast it will take you to recover from your injuries, even though you may feel like they are trying to move things along too quickly. Your physicians are the only ones who can say how long recovery will take.
Who the nurse case manager reports to
The nurse case manager reports to the company who hired them. This could be your employer, the worker's compensation insurance company, or an administrator such as a lawyer. Even though this person was hired by any of these parties, they are not biased against you. A nurse case manager is simply a go-between person who makes sure you and your physicians are doing what is necessary to satisfy the requirements of the worker's compensation laws.
How privacy issues are handled
While nurse case managers have requirements to meet, they are limited to what they can see in your medical records and discuss with your physicians. Of course, to keep in line with privacy laws, you will need to sign a HIPAA agreement. In this agreement, be sure it explicitly states that the nurse case manager can only see records pertaining to the injuries and treatments related to your worker's compensation claim.
How to request a different nurse case manager
If you don't like how your nurse case manager handles things, or you simply do not get along with him or her, you may be able to request a different nurse case manager. Hire a worker's compensation attorney to help you file the necessary paperwork to request a change. Keep in mind, however, that there may only be a limited number of these nurses available, and the next one you get may be worse.
It's important to understand your nurse case manager's role and who they work for. Your nurse case manager's interests are focused on getting you back to work without treatments running up the costs of the insurance company paying the workers compensation. For more information, contact Lipman Law Firm PC.
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