Return to Work for the Non-Workers’ Compensation Patient

Case Management Focus

As a nurse case manager specializing in catastrophic case management, I have seen the resilience of people when they have the resources to meet their needs. For those injured on the job, workers' compensation provides the injured worker with medical care at no cost to them, assistance in finding a job to meet their restrictions, and payment for the time they are off work due to the injury. 

On the other side of the coin, I have seen people suffer the same catastrophic injuries who were not injured on the job, lose everything because either they did not have insurance or that insurance does not cover what they needed medically, or help them to return to work due to restrictions from the injury. 

If we're tightening access to public benefits like Medicaid through work requirements, shouldn't we also be expanding protections for people who get injured outside of work and fall through the cracks? 

Those of us in this space (nurse case managers and vocational specialists) are trained to assess and assist a person’s abilities to return to work based on their restrictions once they are medically stable. So why aren't we utilizing these skills to help people find work, whether through adapting the work setting or providing education to train individuals with transferable skills that focus on their abilities rather than their disabilities? 

As the Federal Government is trying to shift responsibilities to the States, this is a good project for independent professionals and companies looking to expand the services they offer to the non-workers’ compensation population. 

Developing a plan for an employer to offer the same services for non-work-related injuries could be a good starting point. The million-dollar question is how is this be paid for? Here are some ideas:

• Grants could be written to pay for this. 
• Employers might be willing to cover this as part of employee retention programs.
• States might reimburse companies/independent professionals to help people find gainful employment, thereby reducing the number of people on public assistance.

There's a lot more to this than simply developing a return-to-work program. Still, when you think about the full complexity of non-work injuries and the ripple effects they have on people’s lives, it’s clear that patching the system with a single program isn’t enough. 

What is needed is a holistic, collaborative approach driven by people who genuinely understand the issues.

Imagine if we bring policymakers, medical professionals, employers, disability advocates, injured individuals, and insurers to the table together - the possibilities expand dramatically by:

• Identifying gaps in coverage and accessibility
• Building programs that are not just efficient, but human-centered.
• Aligning incentives across public health, labor markets, and community wellbeing.
• Promoting long-term recovery and reintegration, not just short-term fixes.

Remember that during these disruptive times, creative ideas and technologies emerge. I would love to know your thoughts. If you would like to explore this project, feel free to email me at allewellyn48@gmail.com.

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