In this industry, we love to talk about outcomes – outcomes for our respective companies, outcomes for our customers, and most importantly, outcomes for injured workers.
But when we talk about injured worker outcomes, oftentimes, we refer to outcomes that happen pre-settlement or alongside settlement. We measure success by asking a handful of common questions:
- How quickly were we able to get an injured worker the care they needed to recover?
- How efficient was their care path – were we able to reduce the number of doctor or therapy appointments?
- How effective were we at preventing setbacks or delays in recovery?
- How quickly were we able to get them back to work?
While these questions are critical factors to measure, they simply do not apply to all injured workers, especially those who have suffered a catastrophic or complex injury.
The future is … hazy at best for injured workers who fall into this category. Most often, they do not return to work. And while settlement is important for their livelihood and health long-term, they don’t always understand what it entails, and therefore, are reluctant to move forward.
When an injured worker does successfully settle, it is hardly the end of their journey. Their injury has given way to a new normal – one that will require ongoing doctor’s appointments, procedures, therapy, medical attention, and proper management of settlement funds. Stress, uncertainty, and lack of direction leave these injured workers lost in a sea of anxiety.
But what if – by doing a better job of educating an injured worker and by taking a more proactive role in post-settlement administration – we could have a stronger impact on their life moving forward? Now that would be an outcome worth touting as an industry.
I want to provide a few examples – based on real-life injured workers – to demonstrate how simple changes can lead to real results.
Our first injured worker, Carl, suffered a complex workplace injury. Early on, he settled the indemnity portion of his claim; however, he was reluctant to settle on the medical side because he was fearful of not having enough funds for his future care.
With some education and proper administrative support, Carl’s concerns were put to rest. He settled the medical portion of his claim, confident of his ability to extend the life of his settlement funds. In fact, he has seen up to a 25 percent decrease in his ongoing prescription expenses.
Another great is Carol, who was in the workers’ compensation system for more than 10 years. While she was tired of seeing doctors within the system, she was reluctant to settle her case. She didn’t fully understand what settlement meant, what she would be responsible for moving forward, and whether it would be the right thing for her future.
Ametros partnered with both Carol and the defense to get her case settled. With a little patience and dedicated one-on-one support, Carol was able to better understand the settlement process and her responsibilities moving forward. Now that she has settled her claim, she can choose which providers and pharmacies work best for her. This flexibility has greatly enhanced her quality of life.
Too often, injured workers who bear the biggest physical and emotional tolls from a workplace injury are left dangling by the system at a time when they need the most support.
If we truly care about outcomes for all injured workers, I encourage us to think about each injured worker’s full and unique journey. Many will require more support to properly manage their physical and financial needs post-settlement. Let’s not forget about these injured workers, but rather, work to address all their needs so they can achieve the best outcome – a return to life after injury.
