The Pennsylvania Chamber Of Business And Industry Is Attacking Rights of Injured Workers

 By Marc S. Jacobs, Esquire

There have always been constant challenges by employers, insurance companies and the Chamber of Commerce to an injured worker’s right to receive reasonable and necessary medical treatment under the Workers’ Compensation Act.

Now, new proposed legislation not only wants to strip away existing rights to receive medical treatment but also interfere with personal privacy and interferes with the decision of health care providers who are willing to treat injured workers fairly and in a decent way.

New proposals include:

• extending mandatory treatment with employer referred physicians from 90 to 180 days;
• instituting mandatory drug testing for any injured worker taking medication;
• prohibiting your physician from distributing needed medication;
• authorizing your employer to choose where and how you order or obtain needed medication;
• setting up medical guidelines — created by insurance companies — that define how long and what kind of treatment you can receive for your injury;
• binding judges to insurance company guidelines in determining whether you are receiving reasonable and necessary treatment for your injury.

Do not let these proposals become part of your Workers’ Compensation Act!

Contact your state legislator and senator to let them know you oppose the changes. Find out for this upcoming election who supports and who does not support these proposals.  Spread the word to your neighbor, coworker and union so others can join you in protecting workers’ rights under a law written to help injured workers not insurance companies.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Marc S. Jacobs, Senior Partner at the law firm of Galfand Berger, LLP, is an experienced and well-respected attorney for workers’ rights in Pennsylvania. He focuses his practice on the areas of Workers’ Compensation and Social Security Disability. Mr. Jacobs is a past President of the Workers’ Compensation Sections of the Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Bar Associations and remains active in both of these groups. With offices in Philadelphia, Bethlehem and Reading, Mr. Jacobs represents injured workers throughout Southeast Pennsylvania. Call him at 1-800-222-USWA (8792) or contact him online.