The current atmosphere at the OhioBWC is anti-injured worker. The MCO’s continue to deny requested medical treatment, the BWC is actively making settlements of claims more onerous.

It’s bad enough to get hurt on the job, but fighting the system that is supposed to protect injured workers is downright demoralizing.

The BWC is now forcing settlement allocations between compensation, future medical expense, and protection of Medicare interests. That would not be bad but when the BWC forces allocation in a settlement for an injured worker who will not be eligible for Medicare benefits until age 65 or 66, it becomes absurd.

As a result of an internal audit performed late in 2008, the BWC decided that, in order to clean house, it would reduce settlement offers to injured workers, utilize co-morbidity tables (taking a persons whole medical history into account in the settlement of a broken leg, for example), and use the current economic situation to ’squeeze’ low settlement amounts for workers’ in economic distress (terminated due to economy, etc.)

So much for a system that makes a ‘Plegde’ of Service to injured workers.

Now, the Ohio Senate is considering bringing privatization to workers’ compensation in Ohio. Anyone who is injured in the service of a self-insured employer knows the extra nightmare of claim battles. Bringing privatization into the BWC arena will increase the battle between the injured worker and the benefits to which he/she is entitled.

Contact Governor Strickland and tell him that you want a change for the benefit of the injured worker.

Contact your state representative and tell him/her that you want a change for the benefit of the injured worker.

Tags: benefit, broken leg, BWC, change, Compensation, economic distress, fighting the system, Governor Strickland, injured workers, medical expense, Medicare, medicare benefits, Ohio, OhioBWC, privatization, Service, settlement, settlement amounts, system, worker