NHADA-Pub3-2021-Issue4-FLIPBOOK

O ur members are amazing! They listen to our training, and they honestly want to do the right thing for workers’ compensation. Some know the drill so well that they may not call us about the injury but instead send in the required paperwork. They haven’t done anything wrong in this case, but there is more to that initial call than just reporting an injury. When someone is injured at work, and it is not a life-or- death emergency, members should call us to report the injury and get assistance with an in-network referral. Even if the injured worker does not want to seek medical treatment, we still want to hear from you. Reasons for a call: • Reporting the injury: We gather information about what happened and details of the injury. From here, we start a paper trail. The call allows us to begin to manage a claim even before the paperwork arrives. Early intervention with workers’ comp leads to better outcomes. We keep detailed notes on these calls, and if the First Report of Injury form does not arrive promptly, we will call to remind and assist with the filing, which can avoid late filing fines from the Department of Labor. • Assisting with network treatment: All NHADA WCT members are part of our managed care program, and treatment needs to be within the managed care network. The call to us at the time of injury allows us to assist with this step. There are some rare instances when out-of-network treatment may be allowed, and we can help with this situation as well. We have built strong relationships with local occupational health and specialty providers, allowing us to make same- day referrals for treatment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some treatment options may have been busier than others. A prompt call will provide options for the injured worker to avoid long wait times. Why Call in If We Already Know What toDo andOther Great Workers’ Comp Tips MARTA SILAKKA RN, BSN, CCM, COHN-S NHADA WCT NURSE CASE MANAGER D R I V E 16