(Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels)
You’re at work. You’re doing a bit of filing, or whatever. You bend over to pick up a stack of papers, precariously hoisting it in your arms as you trek slowly to the filing room. Unbeknownst to you, Jim from Human Resources spilled some coffee on the linoleum floor, and before you know it, you go flying; feet in the air, papers scattered everywhere like a ticker-tape parade. And that’s when you fall. Hard.
You’re hurting. Everyone’s screaming. The office is a mess. And then there’s Jim, oblivious to his part in it all. He stares at you with that puppy dog expression and says, “Gee, Sue! Are you okay?” No, Jim! Of course, I’m not okay!
But then Deb from the front office — good old Deb! — comes to your rescue. “Sue, Dear (because, naturally, she calls everybody ‘Dear’), let me help you to my office and we’ll fill out a worker’s compensation claim. Why, THANK YOU, Deb! I’d LOVE to fill out a worker’s compensation claim!”
Within 15 minutes, Deb has helped drag your injured bones to the front office and has handed you the claim. But now what? The pain is still there. That won’t go away just because you’ve got the paperwork. You still need help, and you need it now. So, what’s to do? That’s what we’ll be looking at today. We’ll give you the step-by-step process of what you need to do in order to get the care you need. Meanwhile, Jim can finish up the filing.
1. Make Sure To Gather The Correct Information
First things first. You’re going to want to make sure you’ve got the right paperwork, which just so happens to be a Consumer and Business Services Worker’s Compensation 827 form. If that’s too much to handle, just remember ‘827 form’ and you’ll be good to go.
Secondly, you’ll need to get a claim number and insurance provider name from your employer. For example, Elk Ridge Chiropractic & Wellness Center treats worker’s comp patients whose employers use Saif when filing their claims. Ask your employer who they go through, and make sure you receive that claim number. That will come in handy in a bit.
2. Take Your Worker’s Comp Paperwork Home
Next, as tempted as you (or your employer) may be to fill out the whole form immediately, do yourself a favor and don’t. Why? Because injuries take a while to settle. Once the adrenaline and shock wear off, you may begin to realize that it isn’t just your tailbone that’s hurting. It’s also your lower back, your neck, maybe your elbow, inching up into your shoulder. That’s why we recommend taking the form home with you and giving yourself 24 hours to let all the injuries present themselves. This will come back to help you with your coverage later on. (Of course, if the injury requires immediate medical attention, please seek care as you see fit.)
3. Don’t Be Modest. Overfill Your 827 Form To The Max
When you receive your 827 form, you’ll be instructed to describe your injuries inside a microscopic box that’s so small, it’s insulting. Therefore, instead of trying to squeeze in as much as possible into that teeny tiny space, simply write, ‘See attached document,’ then describe the extent of all your injuries in as much detail as you possibly can on a separate sheet of paper, then attach it to your completed form.
Why should you do this, you ask? Because, to put it briefly, if you don’t list an injury, it won’t get covered. All the more reason to wait until the extent of your injuries present themselves to make sure you’re able to receive the proper treatment that’s covered by your employer.
4. Bring Your 827 Form To Your Provider
Before you bring your completed 827 form back to your employer, you’ll have to go through your provider first. Here’s what that looks like:
Obviously, each injury is different. Some require a trip to the ER, as we said before, while others are more suited for a physical therapist or a chiropractor to look at. Let’s jump back into Sue’s role for a minute…
You fell on your bum, but after spending the night realizing all the other things that hurt, coming to the conclusion that you haven’t broken anything — just bent and twisted and overall mangled yourself up into a nice little bow — you decide that the best place to find care would be the chiropractor’s office. You find one that also features physical therapy and massage therapy, and you give them a ring.
Flash forward to your appointment. You have your 827 form handy and you’ve brought with you your worker’s compensation claim number and the name of the insurance provider (not yours, remember. The one your employer uses). You’ll also need to provide your date of birth.
Once you’ve supplied this information to your doctor, that’s when you’ll be asked about your injuries. Go through absolutely everything with them. They’ll do a nice once-over, examining you from every angle, and may even find some more injuries that you didn’t know you had. Keep that 827 form handy for this purpose. Add in any additional information and verify it with them so that you haven’t missed anything. They’ll make note of all your injuries for their records, which will help them when they bill insurance later. You doctor will also set up a treatment plan, plus, depending on the status of your injury, they may provide you with a doctor’s note to bring to your provider.
5. Return Your Completed 827 Form To Your Employer
After crossing every T and dotting every I, it’s finally time to submit your completed 827 form to your employer. The claim will then be processed so your doctor can bill out your charges as you receive care, and before you know it, you’ll be back to running laps around Jim from Human Resources.
Need More Information?
We hope this article was helpful and that you now feel prepared to take the necessary steps if ever you experience an injury in the workplace. If you’ve never had an injury before and want to take precautions, should an incident arise (heaven forbid!), it might be good to speak to your employer for more information.
It’s also good to have some providers lined up. That way, if ever that unfortunate circumstance does occur, you’ll know exactly who to call.
Right now, Elk Ridge Chiropractic & Wellness Center is taking on new worker’s compensation patients as well as regular new patients. If you’d like to get set up with us to receive chiropractic care, in addition to physical therapy care — maybe even get a massage while you’re at it — give us a call at 541-388-3588, or email us at elkridgechiropractic@gmail.com.
