[Dianne]

When you get hurt while at work you would expect that things should go easily as to getting treated, getting your medications, etc. Oh but hell no.

The office manager calls the workers comp people and they send me to the doctor. I am told I have to clock out because I am NOT getting paid for my time to travel to and see the doctor for my injury. Ok, its only a couple hours when all is said and done, no biggie, I blow it off.

They tell me that if I need to get any prescriptions NOT to use my insurance to cover the cost because is creates too much paperwork for them to just reimburse me the copayments and my insurance may give them a hard time about it.

They say pay for it myself and submit receipts. Ok, once again I am thinking no big deal, couple bucks out of my pocket that I should see refunded to me shortly. (Im told within 3 days).

$150 later at the pharmacy (of course there are no generics for the crap they gave me), I am a little perturbed to say the least.

Im not getting paid for the time I had to take off to be treated and I cant see why some better coverage or at least some guidance could have been given with the prescriptions. The whole thing just seems ridiculous to me. I figured this sort of thing would be cut and dry.

[Rice-rocket1]

If I were to get hurt at work they pay for my travel time "to" and "from" the doctors office and time spent there. All appointments are made during work time for this reason. If you get hurt on the job then you get healthy on the job.....

This is the way it has always worked for the companies that i have worked for. Luckily I haven't had to do this at my current job but I know of others who have.

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by ilcl75
They tell me that if I need to get any prescriptions NOT to use my insurance to cover the cost because is creates too much paperwork for them to just reimburse me the copayments and my insurance may give them a hard time about it.

They say pay for it myself and submit receipts. Ok, once again I am thinking no big deal, couple bucks out of my pocket that I should see refunded to me shortly. (Im told within 3 days).

That sounds (and smells) like bullshit to me. You pay for insurance so you don't have to fork over the money for medication. If I were you, I would have made them give me money up front for prescriptions otherwise they can deal with the paperwork.

Do you get personal time at your work? If so, I would charge the time away from work going to the doctor on it.

[Dianne]

I have earned personal paid time off that I am going to have to dip in to so that I can cover today, next weeks appointment and apparently my physical therapy appointments as well.

The office manager is saying that I have to be out of work for 5 days continuous to get any coverage for time missed from work. I could see if this was something horrific and I wasnt going back to work at all but WTF?

Why should I have to take time that I have earned by working my ass off and use if for medical appointments that are necessary because of an injury I sustained at work?

Im talking to the company owner tomorrow. Me thinks (as I normally do) that our office manager is a clueless, dumbass, pencil pushing idiot who thinks she knows everything. I think I have forgotten more than that woman well ever know about anything.

[ZX-12R]

I think you have got the right idea!

[Dianne]

Ok, now that I got that rant out of my system. Anyone know anything about the medications Skelaxin or Voltaren? I have never heard of either one of them

[R7]

I don't know what kind of workmans comp laws NH has, but if that were in RI, the company would have to pay you for the day and workmans comp would pick up the remaining time you miss based on a percentage of your income over the past X amount of weeks. Also, it should be Zero costs out of your pocket for anything. You should have a accident report claim number by the time you leave for treatment to use for the emergency room and perscriptions

[Dianne]

I'll get it all straightened out it just extremely frustrating to deal with all this BS when Im in pain just wanna get better.

[Stoneman]

From my experience, your employer does NOT hafta pay you for timem off. You SHOULD get reimbursed up to 80% by THEIR workers comp insurance. You should keep close track of ANY time off related to the injury, including travel time. ANY time off...

As for the meds - again from my experience - YOU pay for them, then get reimbursed from THEIR workers comp insurance. You putting the meds on YOUR health insurance will make it just as hard for you to get your money back from their workers comp coverage. You may never see it again if you were to do that. It's not JUST too much paperwork from them (although that's a pretty shitty thing to tell ya), but it's gonna save YOU a huge headache. You'll spend ENDLESS time trying to get that money back from either YOUR insurance or theirs...

Everything they told you is pretty much spot on about paying and getting receipts, then getting reimburced...

While they're acting pretty shitty about it, they're not doing anything wrong under NH Workers Compensation laws. Again, I agree that they're being assholes, and we wouldn't treat our employees that way...

Again, this is from my personal experience...

[Dianne]

I am more than covered for time off with what I have earned for paid time off and I am glad to hear I did the right thing with the prescriptions. While it was a financial pinch for me, it should be easier to get my money back where I didnt use the health insurance I carry.

Im sure once I speak with the owner tomorrow he wont have the time deducted from my earned time, its just a matter of sitting down and talking to him. Im not even sure he has any knowledge of the incident yet as he wasnt there long today. If its the companys choice to pay or not pay for the time, he'd be the man to talk to. We are a small company, only 10 people so we go directly to him for such things.

[Stoneman]

When in doubt Dianne, call the NH Dept of Labor. That's what they're there for, and they love their jobs. They HATE the small business owner...

[Dianne]

I dont think it will get to that point and I am not the kind of person to really raise a stink but thanks for the heads up.

[Dianne]

Wow. If you look at my demeanor in the progress of this thread you *might* be able to tell when I took those medications.

[Currently]

I have been on Maine Workers Comp ...

It was the worst effing experience of my entire life.
You are damned if you do and damned if you don't.
Also, you now have this big florescent orange target on your back!
It got so bad that I quit a union job where I had 5 paid weeks of vacation a year, and was making almost what I am making now.

I went to college and got an engineering degree just so I can say go fuck yourselves. Today, I have a decent job and some dignity of which I had neither before.

When I went up north last week, to my dad's funeral, I met 5 of the 6 people that got hired the same day I did at that mill. 4 of the 5 people were permanently disabled ... and some of those disabilities were not pretty.

The intent of the law got politicized and the victims are both the employee and the employer ... how the fuck did that happen?

Well ... there is this famous saying:

I am from the government and I am here to help you!

[Dianne]

I dont know how this comes in to play (and maybe some of you auto techs, etc. in NH out there can help me) but we are governed by NHADA (New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association).They provide on the job safety training, classes, etc. and we purchase our health insurance through them as a group. I dont know if it likes being part of a union or what?

They are the ones providing managed care, etc. They are the ones that first had to be contacted about the injury. While I am sure they are governed by a higher authority, I wonder what their real role in this is?

[neuthunder]

skelaxin

and

voltaren sounds like a jacked up aspirin/ ibuprofen from what I read

[hessogood]

I've taken and sometimes take 800mg skelaxin,( and sometimes a couple) it's a low level muscle relaxers, works with physical therapy. Make sure you do your stretches, they'll make the biggest difference.

[Dianne]

I start physical therapy as soon as I can get an appointment (this just happened today). Any side effects that I should be aware of?

[ssg]

remind me to look in the orange book in the am, I'll let you know if there is anything you should look for.


Your workmans comp deal sounds like a bunch of shit to me. When I did it once, it was like my treatment WAS my job...that is all I did till I was better.

[neuthunder]

voltaren had side effects of stomach bleeding and intestinal bleedin.... kinda the same thing that goes along with aspirin

skelaxin had a warning about addiction, dry mouth, and dizziness

[hessogood]

Your mind and body get a little groggy. Might help you sleep through the night though. Sounds like you've been having a tough couple-a months.

[capt1014]

UMMM, don't get hurt at work?

Just an idea?

[Dianne]

yeah, gee guess I should have thought about that before I got hurt, huh? thanks for the insight. I couldnt have figured that out myself.

[Dianne]

Originally posted by hessogood
Your mind and body get a little groggy. Might help you sleep through the night though. Sounds like you've been having a tough couple-a months.

Yeah no kidding. I slept like a rock last night. Its been a rough couple months for sure but Im a tough cookie.

[tonyd]

NHADA has nothing to do with anything, thats just the group your employer is buying insurance through. What ever insurance company holds the workers comp policy is who is going to be a pain in your ass.

When my wife was hurt on the job in NH all she did was fill out the workers comp paperwork at the begining and inform every doctors office or pharmacy that is was workers comp and we never paid a dime.

If you have questions about the process call NH dept of labor, they are the only ones who will be knowledgable and have your best interest in mind, thats what they are there for. Chances are that your employer will not know much about the process, and the insurance company covering the claim is looking out for them selves only, and will lie thier asses off to save a nickle.

Good luck, get better