Medical Exams

Medical Exam Logistics

A medical exam after a workplace injury usually proceeds just like any other medical exam. You’ll be examined by a doctor, asked questions about your medical history, and be given further steps to take for diagnosis or treatment. You might be sent for diagnostic tests, prescribed medications or medical equipment, scheduled for surgery, or admitted to the hospital, depending on the type of injury you’ve suffered and how severe it is.

Selecting a Doctor & Hospital

You can choose your own doctor and/or hospital when seeking care for a workplace injury in Maryland. The doctor you choose does not have to be registered with or certified by the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. However, the doctor does have to agree to accept payment based on Maryland’s Medical Fee Guide, since workers’ compensation will only pay the amounts listed in the Medical Fee Guide. If you choose a doctor who won’t accept the payments in the Medical Fee Guide, you may be responsible for paying the balance on any doctor’s bill that exceeds the Medical Fee Guide payment.

After your medical exam, your physician should send information about your condition to your employer or employer’s workers’ compensation insurer, if requested. Depending on the severity and type of injury you’ve suffered, your doctor may also determine whether you are totally or partially disabled, how long that disability is expected to last, and whether you might benefit from physical therapy, vocational rehabilitation, or other services. Workers’ compensation will pay for many of these services, including physical therapy and vocational rehabilitation, if you need them.

What Are the Costs of a Medical Exam?

Medical exam costs related to an “accidental personal injury arising out of and in the course of employment” are covered by workers’ compensation insurance in Maryland under the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Act. The bills workers’ compensation will pay for a covered injury include the costs of doctor and hospital visits, diagnostic tests, hospital stays, surgery, medications, and medical equipment like mobility aids, prosthetics, and other devices your doctor might prescribe to help treat or accommodate your condition.

Maryland’s Medical Fee Guide does not set limits for payments on prescription medications, dental work, prosthetics, or durable medical equipment. Instead, physicians, dentists, and/or pharmacies may charge what is “reasonable and customary” for the services and equipment you receive.

How to File a Workplace Accident Report

You will also need to fill out an accident report for your employer and Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation Commission. If you cannot get the forms from your employer, you can get them for free by contacting the Commission or downloading them from the Commission’s website. Although a medical exam should be your first priority, you should fill out the accident report as soon as possible once your medical condition is stable.

Effective Legal Guidance & Representation

Workers’ compensation is complex and can be difficult to understand, but it provides needed relief to workers and their families when an on-the-job injury puts a wage-earning employee on the sidelines. At Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers, our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys are dedicated to helping injured workers with every part of the process, from filing necessary paperwork to holding any negligent third parties accountable in court.

For a free and confidential consultation, call us today at (301) 932-9997, or use our free online form to contact our office.

Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers serves injured clients throughout Maryland. Our offices are conveniently located in Lanham, Waldorf, Frederick, and Rockville. We also serve Accokeek, MD; Annapolis, MD; Baltimore, MD; Bowie, MD; College Park, MD; California, MD; Columbia, MD; Frederick, MD; Hughesville, MD; Huntingtown, MD; Landover, MD; LaPlata, MD; Laurel, MD; Lexington Park, MD; Mechanicsville, MD; Upper Marlboro, MD; Prince Frederick, MD.