A new report suggests that federal government employers’, including those in Michigan, efforts to control workers’ compensation costs have been hit and miss. While the total amount of costs have dipped $100 million in the past two years, it remains nearly a billion dollars more than the cost just 10 years ago. As a result, employers, like the Army and NASA, have been tinkering with their programs to avoid fraud, monitor progress and encourage the return to work.
These strategies are no different than those being employed in Michigan. Employers and workers’ compensation insurers are constantly trying to control costs. While the efficiency of any large program is a worthwhile goal, these cost saving measures must not come at the cost of reducing lawful benefits to injured workers.
Workers’ compensation in Michigan is governed by state law. As a result, local Saginaw area workers are entitled to have their medical expenses paid and receive compensation for lost wages as the result of a workplace injury. Unfortunately, the cost saving measures can sometimes wrongfully interrupt these benefits.
Local Saginaw area workers’ comp lawyers understand how employers and insurers may scrimp to save here or there. They also understand exactly what a worker is entitled to under Michigan law. As a result, they know when a line has been crossed and when a worker is getting short changed.
Anyone injured at work with question about the benefits they are receiving should contact a local expert to verify if the claim is being managed properly. Without expert advice, there is no way to know if money is being left on the table.
Source: Federal Times, “Agencies show mixed results containing workers’ comp costs,” Andy Medici, Oct. 6, 2014
