Benefits of Direct to Specialist Care for Workers’ Comp Claims
With the cost of workers’ compensation claims continuously on the rise, employers have an important decision to make: where do I send my employees when an injury occurs? In this blog, we will compare the benefits of seeking Direct to Specialist care versus the standard approach to managing injured employees.
With traditional managed care approaches, employees are sent to the emergency room or an occupational health clinic, where there is often a significant wait time and high cost of treatment, resulting in an eventual referral to a specialist to definitively treat the injury.
Bottom line: traditional workers’ comp methods cost more in both time and money for your organization and provide less comprehensive care for your employees. Is this the most effective use of your workers’ compensation dollars?
With MidAmerica’s Direct to Specialist approach, you no longer need to rely on costly emergency room visits or traditional occupational health clinics. MidAmerica has developed a full spectrum of on-site services to treat patients more efficiently and at a lower cost. These services include:
- Orthopaedic Immediate care
- Occupational Health Services
- On-Site Imaging Services
- Physical/Occupational Therapy
- Ambulatory Surgery Center
Factors which rapidly increase the cost of workers’ compensation claims are:
Direct to Specialist care allows for efficient treatment of both non-operative and operative conditions. It means you will receive comprehensive treatment sooner in an emergency situation, which reduces temporary disability payments and expedites return to work.
An injured employee sent to MidAmerica will be seen immediately. All diagnostic tools are available on site, including X-Ray, MRI, EMG, and ultrasound to ensure accurate and definitive diagnosis of injury. Specialists provide fracture or laceration care as quickly as possible, while diagnoses and work status re reports are delivered same day. With Direct to Specialist care, your employee could be back at work with a modified schedule the same day or next day.
In the case of severe injuries requiring surgery, MidAmerica’s Ambulatory Surgery Center can address the problem at a cost up to 40% less than hospital-owned surgical centers. Suggested follow-up visits, as well as physical and occupational therapy, can be provided through MidAmerica, allowing for efficient application of benefits and less paperwork.
Since all treatment services are provided in one location, there’s less unnecessary moving between facilities and costly repetition of services. Furthermore, employees feel they are receiving the most comprehensive care available, and are therefore less likely to seek legal representation.
As an employer, reducing the cost of your workers’ compensation claims is an important element of an effective risk management strategy. Studies have shown savings of as much as 65% on workers’ comp claims using the Direct to Specialist approach. Turn to MidAmerica to obtain maximum value for your workers’ compensation program and the highest-quality care for your employees.
Our offices are located in Mokena and Palos Hills. Call today at (708) 237-7200 to schedule an appointment, or visit our website for more information.
