- October 4, 2020
- Workers' Compensation
While employees certainly pay into a variety of different benefits and sometimes optional benefits, worker’s compensation isn’t one of them. Worker’s compensation should always be there for you if you’re hurt on the job or sick because of your work. Unfortunately, many people realize when you go to file a workers’ compensation claim that the process is difficult, and there seems to be little help available.
So who exactly pays for worker’s compensation? And what benefits should you expect if you were hurt and need help recovering? A lot of these questions are pretty simple to answer and our Charlotte workers’ comp lawyers are going to address them directly right here for you.
Who Pays for Workers Compensation?
An employee should never have to pay for worker’s compensation or pay into the workers’ compensation insurance policy through their paycheck. State and federal taxes and benefits such as SSDI employees have no obligation to worker’s compensation insurance policy. However, the US Department of Labor and various State Department mandate that employers meeting certain requirements maintain an active worker’s compensation policy that will cover all of their employees.
An employer pays for Workers Compensation Insurance, and as a result, they receive access to benefits for wage replacement, medical treatment, Vocational Rehabilitation, and other elements to help their employees.
Can an Employer Charge You for Filing Through Workers Comp?
No. Employers cannot charge you for filing a worker’s compensation claim. They cannot charge you for visiting doctors on their network as part of a worker’s comp claim, and they cannot charge you for using workers’ comp benefits. Employees often report that their employer made it seem as though they would be charged in some way for using the worker’s comp policy. Even an employer complaining that the rates are going to increase can make employees feel as though they’re going to receive a charge.
Some of this is simple miscommunication or over-information provided to the employee. The employee doesn’t need to know that the business is insurance rates will increase. However, the employee should receive some reassurance that they won’t receive a charge, and their paycheck won’t experience a negative impact.
What Will Workers Compensation Cover?
Because of the North Carolina workers’ compensation act, any business with three or more staff members must carry worker’s compensation insurance. Worker’s compensation should cover any medical treatment received within the workers’ compensation insurance network. How this happens is that the employer chooses an insurance provider, then that insurance provider connects with local hospitals and doctors in your area and approves them through the policy.
If you want to see a different doctor, then you’re going to have some trouble going outside of that medical network. If you don’t follow everything to a tee and make the proper requests, then you will likely end up paying for medical treatment you received outside of their network.
In addition to medical treatment, you should expect wage replacement, although you may not have access to full rage replacement. Similar to SSD I and other forms of wage compensation, you may only receive a percentage of the wages you would have learned if you were able to work.
In instances where the injury or accident made it so that you can’t return to your position, then worker’s compensation should cover the expenses of vocational rehabilitation. That’s either getting your body back to where it needs to be to perform the functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, or training function in a new position.
Contacting an Attorney for Workers Compensation Representation
With North Carolina Workers Compensation Attorneys, you can rely on studies support from the time you apply to the time you receive your benefits. We help you understand exactly what your injuries constitute, what it should mean for your benefits, and how you should expect to return to work. A lot of people have fears when it comes to filing a worker’s compensation claim. Their employers may make underhanded threats or tent that coming back to work is going to be difficult, if not impossible.
Employers don’t like their employees taking worker’s compensation claims because it increases their rates, but it’s an insurance policy that you have every right to you. If you were hurt on the job, then you shouldn’t be stuck with the medical bills, and you shouldn’t be stuck with the frustration of lost wages. Contacting North Carolina Workers Compensation Attorneys can get you started toward accessing benefits and exercising your rights as an employee.
