Every call is taken by an attorney

Free Consultation

We proudly serve clients in Schenectady, Syracuse, Utica and the surrounding areas, plus Glens Falls, Albany and the entire Capital District.

Every call is taken by an attorney

Free Consultation

We proudly serve clients in Schenectady, Syracuse, Utica and the surrounding areas, plus Glens Falls, Albany and the entire Capital District.

  1. Home
  2.  » 
  3. Firm News
  4.  » New York Workers’ Compensation Board proposes changes

New York Workers’ Compensation Board proposes changes

On Behalf of | Nov 19, 2012 | Firm News, Workers' Compensation |

When government workers go to their place of work, they expect that they will be safe. However, accidents can still happen even under the safest of conditions. These accidents can leave an employee with medical debt and unable to work. In these situations, workers’ compensation is available to help government employees in New York that have been injured in a workplace accident.

Workers’ compensation helps to cover expenses incurred by an employee that has suffered from a workplace injury. These expenses can include lost wages, medical expenses, rehabilitative costs and other expenses. However, workers’ compensation is not always automatic. Injured workers must apply for benefits. In some situations it can be a complicated process to figure out what injuries and costs are covered.

In 2010, the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board approved a series of guidelines that were supposed to make it easier and quicker for certain types of injuries to be covered under workers’ compensation. These injuries included injures to shoulders, backs and necks. However, the enacted changes did not bring the results that the Board had hoped for. Instead, the changes bogged down the system and led to duplicate requests.

In an effort to help improve the system, the Board has recently proposed changes to the 2010 guidelines. These fixes include simplifying the administration, adopting clearer guidelines for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome and defining limits for maintenance care. If enacted, these changes should cut down on the number of duplicate requests and lower the amount of procedures that need preauthorization before treatment.

Those seeking workers’ compensation in New York should be aware of these potential changes and how they will affect their claims.

Source: Empire State News, “Workers’ Compensation Board proposes new medical treatment guidelines,” Nov. 15, 2012

Archives