Idiopathic conditions are often related to work injuries. Whether or not these injuries are covered by workers’ compensation often depend on exactly how the injury occurred and what caused it. When looking at idiopathic conditions, it’s important to first determine what exactly does “idiopathic” mean?
Idiopathic refers to conditions that are spontaneous or pre-existing. Some examples of these kinds of conditions include things like:
It can also refer to more spontaneous conditions, such as if your leg were to suddenly give out.
So how do these conditions factor into workers’ comp? Well, if your pre-existing or idiopathic condition is the only reason for your injury, then chances are your injury will not be covered by workman’s comp. However, if the injury is the result of your work, you probably will be covered.
Regardless of whether or not your idiopathic condition makes you more likely to be injured, the important thing is that it was caused by your work. So in other words, even if you were predisposed to back pain, if you strained your back doing a routine part of your job, then that injury is probably compensable.
And of course, if you experience any kind of injury at work, always file an injury report with your employer. That way when it comes time to determine the exact cause of your injury, there will be a record of your injury.
If you are receiving Medicare and have been injured at work, you may have heard of Workers Compensation Medicare Set-Aside Arrangements or WCMSA. When dealing with workman’s comp and Medicare, you may be required to set up a WCMSA as part of your settlement.
If this happens, you will be asked to set aside a portion of your workers’ comp benefits in an account. This money will be used to cover treatment and medical procedures related to your work injury once you begin earning Medicare. However, it’s important to note that this money can only be used to cover things that are usually covered by Medicare with the exception of medication for your work-related injury.
The reason for this is account is because while workers’ compensation covers 100% of your work-related injury treatment, Medicare does not. In fact, Medicare only covers 80%. The WCMSA ensures that you will have money to cover that remaining 20% once your Medicare payments start.
As stated before, you can also use your WCMSA to pay for medication. If it looks like you might run out of funds to cover your medication, it may be worth looking into a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.
As summer comes to a close, we feel that it’s important to remind everyone about the importance of donating to your local food banks. As we mentioned, summer brings a very high demand on food banks. Many children rely on free or subsidized meal programs at school during the school year. However, once school lets out for the summer, this safety net against hunger vanishes.
As a result, many families look to food banks for support. The peak time for donations is around the holidays and we see substantially fewer donations during the summer. Because of the higher demand for food, and the lack of donations, many food banks struggle over the summer months. By the time kids are going back to school, it’s likely that their supplies are heavily depleted.
It’s important to remember to give to food banks throughout the year, and not just during the holidays. You may have seen some of our billboards around town promoting food donations to food banks. At Oxner + Permar, we believe it’s important to look after our community in any way possible. Helping to make sure that everyone has access to a good meal is just one way we do our part.
I can’t thank you enough for everything you did for me. It is amazing what you got done. And its more than the agreement. Your words and advice stay with me and have continued to help me. The words “thank you” aren’t enough. There is no way to thank you enough for helping me find such a good solution for the most precious thing in my life – time with my one and only child.
It is difficult when you are in the middle of a life changing event of your own life to make good, rational decisions. You made sure that I did. You set up an agreement that continues to work ongoing and that makes sense. Having that huge challenge behind me, I have been able to “move on” and enjoy my life.
It’s summer time! And with the hot weather sometimes comes physically demanding jobs. Of course, a rise in the amount of work brings a rise in the number of accidents and injuries. Many times, we think we can “walk it off,” we tell ourselves that we’ll feel better eventually, or that it’s just part of the job. Sometimes the smaller aches and pains go away, but other times they might be part of a larger issue that only gets worse with time. That’s why no matter how small the injury, it’s important to report it — and to do it within 30 days.
This is no small matter. If you don’t report your claim to your employer in a timely manner, it could have negative consequences on your case. You must tell not only your employer, but also file a written report. That way there is physical evidence of your claim.
However, your claim doesn’t stop there. After you report your injury to your employer, you’ll have to file a workers’ compensation claim. In North Carolina, you have two years to file a workman’s comp claim. This is different from the initial report you give to your employer within 30 days.
Because you have two years to file for workers’ comp, you have a little more time to decide if your injury is serious before applying for benefits. That’s why it always pays to file a written injury report with your employer — because you never know what could turn out to be serious, and it’s always better to have written proof than nothing at all.
