Timely Care Matters – Appointment Scheduling is Critical for Workers’ Compensation Injuries 

In today’s fast-paced workers’ compensation environment, the ability to establish a clear path to timely injury recovery and return to work is essential. In addition, facilitating the process of navigating an injured worker through the healthcare world can be daunting, especially for a claims adjuster who is also juggling a heavy case load. This is where the importance of appointment scheduling services takes center-stage! 

Whether it’s managing an injured worker’s proximity to the care required or coordinating availability with healthcare providers, proper scheduling plays a pivotal role to ensure efficient care is delivered to achieve optimal recovery outcomes. The ability to plan, manage time, and navigate schedules effectively not only reduces stress for the injured worker, but also provides a path to efficient use and application of company resources to achieve return-to-work goals. 

Here at Horizon Casualty Services, Inc., (HCS), an affiliate of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the Appointment Scheduling Program is designed to start claimants on the path to successful recovery. The HCS highly skilled Care Coordinators select workers’ compensation providers for claimants with select in-network providers with strong reputations for evidence-based conservative care. This results in timely access to quality care, reduced medical expenses, and expedited recovery. In addition, the HCS Care Coordinator provides follow-up on any delayed provider documents. A few key highlights of the HCS Appointment Scheduling Program include:   

• Appointments made with Outcomes Focused Network (OFN) providers who utilize evidence-based medicine and conservative methods to attain the best medical outcomes for the injured worker, 

• Timely scheduling of initial appointments (within 24- hours of receiving referral), 

• Prompt receipt of medical reports from providers, 

• Reduced claim costs through efficient handling of patient referrals. 

Donald Kent, Manager of Client Success at HCS, shares “A timely scheduled appointment can alleviate some of the complexity with navigating an injured workers care needs. For example, the ability to have them seen by the right provider, at the right time can reduce the amount of time they are out of work. This organized approach to care direction minimizes downtime and contributes to a positive patient experience, while timely services and clear communication enhance trust and fosters loyalty between a PPO and its client base.” 

The importance of appointment scheduling services lies in its ability to bring order to situations that may be chaotic and frustrating for the injured worker and urgent due to the nature of the injury. Kent continues, “Allowing individuals and organizations to function at their best is key for any successful scheduling service. Whether managing personal obligations to fit in the required medical appointments or driving business success by meeting service level agreements, effective scheduling ensures that time is used wisely, and goals are achieved to optimize outcomes.” 

Through close alignment and partnership with workers’ compensation insurers, implementing best practices will help overcome challenges and harness the full potential of appointment scheduling to create a productive, balanced, and efficient road to recovery for injured workers. 

About Horizon Casualty Services, Inc. 

HCS, in business since 1994, is a leading PPO in New Jersey WC and PIP. HCS has a 100% direct-contracted provider network that includes almost all New Jersey acute care hospitals. The network delivers significant overall savings and, with its deep focus on precision, an extremely low appeals rate. Its PPO results, combined with its Healthcare Value Strategy and Outcomes Focused Network, enable insurers to be the best at delivering quality medical care to claimants at the right cost — clearly a win-win for all. HCS and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey are independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. 

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