After a work injury, you might have questions about returning to work. You might wonder things like, “How will going back to work affect my benefits?” and “Will I still get medical treatment for my injury?” These are common concerns.
It’s important to know that if you’re suffering from a temporary or permanent disability due to a work-related injury, there are workers’ compensation rules that can affect your benefits.
Impact on temporary disability benefits
In New Jersey, if you’re disabled for more than seven days, you can receive temporary total disability benefits. These benefits are usually 70% of your average weekly wage, with minimum and maximum amounts set by the state. However, several things can change your eligibility for these benefits, including:
- Returning to work
- Reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI)
- Being cleared to return to work in some capacity
Once any of these occur, your temporary total disability benefits may be adjusted or stopped.
While at work, it’s important to talk to your employer and the workers’ compensation insurance company about your return. They need to know about any limits your doctor has placed on your work activities. Knowing what adjustments you need at work can help your employer accommodate your work restrictions.
Continuation of medical benefits
Returning to work doesn’t always mean your medical benefits will stop. In most cases, you have the right to keep getting medical treatment for your work-related injury even after returning to work, as long as the treatment is necessary and related to your work injury.
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should continue to cover medical treatments, medications, and therapies related to your work injury. However, you might need to follow certain steps, such as seeing doctors approved by the insurance company, to make sure your medical care stays covered. In New Jersey, the employer or their insurance company usually gets to choose your medical providers.
Consider these factors when you’re almost ready to go back to your job. Careful planning can help avoid problems and make your return to work go smoothly.