Workers in a variety of different situations may develop health issues caused by their employment. Some workers develop illnesses due to chemical exposure at work. Employees may develop repetitive strain injuries from doing the same job tasks for years or could get hurt in an equipment malfunction incident. They may even experience the worsening of a pre-existing condition because of their work.
Those with health issues caused by their employment may qualify for benefits through Missouri workers’ compensation. The benefits available include disability benefits to replace a portion of someone’s lost wages and health benefits to cover the cost of someone’s medical care. Those benefits are often crucial to someone’s financial stability while they can’t work.
How long can a worker expect their workers’ compensation benefits to last?
Until they return to work
For many workers, that end of their workers’ compensation benefit follows their recovery and return to work. After successful treatment, workers usually resume their employment. Once someone has a regular paycheck coming in, they no longer require disability benefits. Healthcare coverage ends when someone no longer requires treatment.
Until they reach maximum medical improvement
There are some health issues that may not fully respond to treatment. Carpal tunnel syndrome and other repetitive stress injuries, for example, may cause long-term symptoms that the patient may never fully overcome. A physician overseeing someone’s treatment can file a report when they achieve maximum medical improvement (MMI) and are unlikely to respond to future treatment. At that point, the worker may need to convert temporary disability benefits to permanent disability benefits. They may only qualify for symptom management healthcare benefits instead of treatment coverage.
Until their retirement
In some cases, workers may actually continue receiving medical benefits through workers’ compensation indefinitely. If a worker never fully recovers, workers’ compensation can continue paying for medical care costs indefinitely. Coverage for lost wages would typically end when a worker reaches retirement age, although they may then be eligible for other forms of financial support.
Sometimes, workers find themselves facing a premature cessation of benefits. These employees may need assistance resuming or maintaining their workers’ compensation benefits. Knowing the basic rules that govern Missouri workers’ compensation may help workers recognize when it may be beneficial to seek legal guidance in order to fight unfair determinations.