Medical Expenses for Life

If an employee is injured in the job, the workers' compensation insurance company must pay medical bills for life, as long as the medical bills are "reasonable and necessary" to treat the work-related injury.

The insurance company must also pay round-trip mileage for visits to the hospital, doctor, chiropractor, and physical therapist. Keep careful track! (The mileage rate is figured by using the IRS automobile expense rate—currently $0.445 per mile.)

At present, the law states that if an injured worker goes three years without submitting a medical bill to the insurance company or to his employer for payment, then his claim evaporates, and he is no longer entitled to further medical treatment.

Of course, the insurance company gets out of many medical expenses by hiring a doctor to evaluate injured workers and to report that their medical treatment is not "reasonable" or "necessary."

Important Tip: Choose your own doctor! Most often, doctors recommended by your insurance company or the adjuster work for them, not for you. Under Utah law, you have the right to change doctors one time—to a doctor that you choose. The doctor you choose tells the insurance company what medical bills are "reasonable" and "necessary" and should be paid.