Return-to-work initiatives

BWC established a five-point campaign to support workplace safety by establishing new relationships with doctors and medical providers, rewarding employers who run safe workplaces and opening new opportunities for those injured on the job.

• Return to work — Ohio has adopted a cutting-edge model for return to work that measures success individually. An injured worker’s physician and managed care organization (MCO) will work together to determine the optimal return-to-work date to full or modified duty, based on the injury and type of work.
  
  Click here to learn more about return-to-work initiatives.
  
  
• Presumptive authorization — In another first for workers’ compensation, we have implemented a process that nearly eliminates the need for a medical provider to receive prior authorization before treating an injured worker up to 45 days after the injury.
  
  Click here to learn more about presumptive authorization.
  
  
• Remain at work — The best way to avoid the need to return to work is to remain at work. A workplace injury does not have to result in a long absence from work. BWC’s goal is to provide early intervention and minimize the number of days an employee is away from the job. The employer’s MCO will manage these services.
  
  Click here to learn more about remain-at-work initiatives.
  
  
• Vocational rehabilitation services — MCOs work with injured workers, employers and medical providers with the goal of an optimal return-to-work date. If an injured worker has not returned to the job 30 days after the optimal return-to-work date, BWC and MCO staff will work together to ensure the injured worker gets the vocational rehabilitation he or she needs to pave the way for a safe return to work.
  
  Click here to learn more about vocational rehabilitation.
  
  
• Transitional work — Transitional work helps businesses offer injured employees strategies to return them to work as soon as safely possible, and before the worker is 100 percent recovered. It uses real job-related tasks to accommodate the workers' medical restrictions for a specified time period – generally no more than three months – and gradually return them to their original duties.
  
  Click here to learn more about transitional work.
  
  

These initiatives ensure that injured workers receive the right services at the right time, and they avoid long debilitating periods off work. Moreover, your role is vital during this period. In addition to providing your specialized skills, you have the opportunity to reinforce return-to-work expectations and encourage them to actively facilitate their recovery and return to the job.

Click here for more information about medical management.