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That’s where Schroeder & Mandel comes in. When you have a skilled attorney negotiating with insurance companies on your and your patients’ behalf, you don’t have to worry about being unpaid or underpaid—and you can focus your energy on providing your patients with the high-quality care they deserve. 

In our experience, chiropractors need to know three important things about helping workers’ compensation patients get coverage for the treatment they need.

1. How to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits

Not all patients may realize that they are eligible for workers’ compensation. If you suspect that your patient’s aches and pains are work-related, be sure to include your diagnosis and detail on any work or activities that contributed to your patient’s condition. 

Additionally, encourage your patients to report the injury to their employer as soon as possible. While they’re aware of their aches and pains, they may not realize that in Minnesota, this constitutes an injury—and a potential work-related injury claim. 

It’s important to note that insurance companies are highly likely to deny these claims without an official report on record.

Chiropractors as primary healthcare providers

Did you know that patients can pick a chiropractor as the primary healthcare provider for their injury? This means that you can refer them for a consultation with another provider at any time.

2. Workers’ compensation treatment parameters

Chiropractic care is often an essential element when it comes to healing from a work-related injury. That being said, as defined in Minnesota’s Administrative Rules, part 5221.6040, subpart 10, all treatment must be deemed medically necessary. 

If treatment is determined to be medically necessary, work comp benefits cover up to 12 weeks of:

• Joint adjustment or manipulation
• Thermal treatment, including deep heating and cooling
• Electrical muscle stimulation
• Mechanical traction
• Acupuncture
• Massage and other manual therapies
• Phoresis, iontophoresis and phonophoresis

When recovery takes longer than 12 weeks

A patient may be eligible for an additional 12 chiropractic visits, over an additional 12 months, if:

• The treatment progressively improves or maintains the functional status that was gained in the initial 12 weeks of treatment;
• The treatment is not regularly scheduled;
• The treatment records contain a plan to encourage independence and decreased reliance on healthcare providers;
• Management of the condition includes active treatment modalities;
• The additional visits do not delay surgical or chronic pain evaluations; and
• The employee does not have chronic pain syndrome.

3. The benefits of partnering with a skilled workers’ compensation attorney

Having an experienced workers’ compensation attorney on your side benefits both you and your patients: they’ll negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf, they know which treatments are covered by law and they’re invested in your patients’ recovery. 

Work comp attorneys do the heavy lifting to fight legal battles, supporting your work to ensure your patients can make the best possible recovery from their work-related injuries.

Motion to Intervene

If you’re unpaid or underpaid by an insurance company, your attorney can help you file a Motion to Intervene, which will allow you to become formally involved in your patients’ work comp cases.

Workers’ comp can be complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.

Your job is to help your patients recover and alleviate pain from their injuries—but sometimes, workers’ comp can result in unwanted obstacles. 

Schroeder & Mandel is here to simplify the process for you. Not sure where to start? Download the FREE Checklist for Chiropractors today!

Gabe Johnson, an attorney at Schroeder & Mandel, recently represented a delivery truck driver who, after 25 years as an over-the-road truck driver, transitioned to delivery driving. The client was 62 years old and needed bilateral knee replacement surgery from getting in and out of his truck all day every day for 2+ years. On the surface, the case looked like a temporary total disability case, but because the client could NEVER go back to work in the industry, it ended up being a permanent total disability case. The case settled for a substantial sum that would take care of the driver into his retirement—a great outcome.

Trust us when we tell you there are 3 key steps to take if you think your pain is work-related.

1. See your physician

   Your work-related pain and aches are worth discussing with your doctor. If you are unsure whether you need an appointment, email your doctor’s office or bring it up at your next appointment. Tell them about your pain and what you do for work.Get the diagnosis written into your medical record with detail on treatment plans and how your work contributed to this injury. Having these important details in your medical record can help you advocate for reasonable accommodations at work and can increase your eligibility for benefits.

2. Tell your employer

   If your physician says your work causes or aggravates the condition, then you need to report it to your employer. Explain that your doctor is treating an ongoing condition, and you want to report a work-related injury.

   This step is key. Make sure you report the injury within 14 days. Most workers do not provide notice because they don’t know they have an injury. They recognize the aches and pain but are unaware that under Minnesota law this constitutes an injury and that they could have a work-related injury claim. They might tell their doctor they’re having knee pain, low-back pain, etc., or they’ll see a surgeon who recommends surgery—all without ever reporting it to their employer. Insurers almost always deny these claims if the employee didn’t make an official report.

   It is essential to report your injury immediately after seeing a physician who advises you your condition is work-related.

3. Talk to an Attorney

   If your physician recommends additional treatment, surgery, or physical therapy, and you expect to miss more work, you should definitely talk to an attorney.

   Call Gabe Johnson, Schroeder and Mandel’s experienced Workers’ Compensation attorney. Gabe fights for and stands by his clients to secure the settlements that they deserve. He takes great pride in helping people who have been injured on the job because, in his experience, “injured workers want two things: to get better and to get back to work.”

   Gabe will help you submit a claim to your employer’s insurance company. At Schroeder & Mandel, we want you to know you are not doing anything wrong by filing a claim. This is exactly why your employer has insurance. You are doing the right thing by protecting yourself and your family and getting back on the road to recovery.

If you have been experiencing work-related pain, please follow these steps to protect yourself in order to get back to work, back to your family, and back to what you enjoyed doing before you were injured.

We know that there are many levels of benefits available to injured workers, and we can help determine which benefits align with specific situations and treatment plans. We never want anyone to go without a paycheck, so exploring the benefits covered under the Worker’s Compensation Act with information provided by the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry regarding wage loss benefits, medical benefits, and vocational rehabilitation benefits available under the work comp system, can make a big difference for many people.

Workers’ compensation attorneys pull all the details together to challenge insurance companies that don’t want to pay out what injured workers are owed.

2. Work comp attorneys know what treatment options are covered by the law.

Attorneys that specialize in workers’ compensation have studied the complex laws that protect injured workers, and we know that they’re entitled to chiropractic treatment. We know that chiropractors can be listed as a patient’s primary healthcare provider and that primary healthcare providers can deem various chiropractic treatments necessary for optimal recovery, including:

• Joint adjustment or manipulation
• Thermal treatment, including deep heating and cooling
• Electrical muscle stimulation
• Mechanical traction
• Acupuncture
• Massage and other manual therapies
• Phoresis, iontophoresis and phonophoresis

These treatments are eligible for an initial 12 weeks of care, which can make a significant impact on the road to recovery. Sometimes, more care is needed, and a work comp attorney can help clients gain access to an additional 12 visits over the course of a year if certain conditions are met.

Imagine how much improvement your patients could make after a year’s worth of treatment. Let’s make it happen together.

3.   Work comp attorneys invest in your patients’ recovery.

The team at Schroeder & Mandel fights for our clients at no cost out of pocket. We get paid when we win benefits, settlements and proper treatment for your patients. Our team has deep experience on both sides of the case. We’ve worked alongside insurance companies, so we have insider knowledge about how the system is designed to benefit corporations, not individuals.

We know what your patients are up against, and we’re on their side. Our goal is to do the heavy lifting and fight the legal battles, so injured workers can reclaim their lives and livelihoods.

Let’s work toward recovery for your work comp patients.

Trust Schroeder & Mandel with the legal side of workers’ compensation, no-fault arbitrations and personal injury benefits, so your patients can access the chiropractic treatment they need for pain. Refer your patients to us for a FREE consultation to discuss any questions pertaining to work-related injuries. We look forward to working together.