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4 General Types of Workers' Compensation Benefits

HR Tech Outlook | Thursday, January 16, 2020

The employer's workers' compensation insurance benefits cover medical treatment, rehabilitation disability, and death benefits. The benefits are briefly discussed in the article.

Fremont, CA: Misfortunes like accidents in the workplace are frequent. What takes shape after the accident is the complete process of treatment and compensation to the employee. Many employees round-the-globe are not aware about the compensation and benefits they are entitled to, following a work-related injury or illness. The employer's workers' comp insurance benefits cover medical treatment, rehabilitation disability, and death benefits. The benefits are briefly discussed in the article.

Workers' Compensation Rehabilitation Benefits

Medical and therapeutic care (such as physical therapy) benefits are paid under rehabilitation benefits. This benefit helps to cope with necessary expenses and recover from injury or illness. They may also pay for the care and training required to regain the skills and abilities needed to return to work. In case a worker is unable to return to the former job after injury or illness, many states offer vocational rehabilitation that pays for retraining, evaluation, tuition, which makes the worker qualified for a different post.

Medical Care under Workers' Compensation

Benefits under workers' comp include hospital and other medical expenses that are necessary to identify and treat a work-related injury or illness. Though the policies and inclusions vary in each state, medical benefits generally cover doctor visits, surgeries, and medications. It also provides for equipments like wheelchairs, special vehicles, or hearing aids. In some cases, they exclusively cover the services like pain therapy, acupuncture, and counseling. Expenses for an investigative or experimental treatment may not be included unless one gets an attorney's help. In some states, the coverage depends upon the health care service provider too.

Disability Benefits from Workers' Compensation

Disability benefits pay the part of the wages one loses when the injury or illness makes it impossible to work regularly. The benefits usually fall into one of four categories, depending on whether the disabilities are total or partial and temporary or permanent.

Temporary Total Disability - When a person is not able to work for a certain period of time. Compensation is paid till the day he joins back the work.

Temporary Partial Disability - When a person can work only up to a certain limit, like 2 hours a day, as per the doctor's recommendation. Compensation is paid to make up the reduced earnings.

Permanent Partial Disability - The permanent damages that partially impairs the ability to work. Benefits are paid to compensate for the impairment: e.g., Loss of a finger.

Permanent Total Disability - These are the complicated ones where the person is not able to return to the job permanently. The amount of compensation for this type of disability differs from state to state and depends on the total earning of the beneficiary prior to the disability.

Workers' Comp Death Benefits

Usually, in cases when employee dies due to work-related injuries or illnesses, their legal heir gets the death benefits. Besides covering the funeral costs, companies makes sure that the members who were financially dependent on the person, gets the benefit. In some states, the benefit is calculated as a percentage of the deceased worker's earnings. Some provide lump sum amount while some have the maximum and minimum parameters.