Nurse Case Managers

Transcription

What do you need to know about nurse case managers? Sometimes as part of losing your medical privacy in a work injury case, involves the insurance company hiring what is called a nurse case manager, or also known as a medical case manager to deal with a medical care in your case. Sometimes they appear your appointments and other times they do everything over the phone. Nurse case managers can be helpful and making sure that you receive a medical care and treatment that you need. Other times they seem to just get in the way between you and your doctors. There are three things to remember when it comes to nurse case managers. Number one, they are being paid by the workers compensation insurance company, and generally that is where their loyalty is at. Number two, anything you tell them will likely end up in a report sent to the insurance company, and eventually may be given to a judge assigned to your case. So be careful what you say and always tell the truth. Number three, you do not have to let the nurse case manager into the examination room while you're being examined by the doctors. However, they do have a right to meet with and talk to your doctors before and or after your appointments. Some doctors will refuse to meet with nurse case managers. Others will only meet with them if you are in the room, and some will meet with them whenever they want to. Regardless, it is important that you tell your doctors, their nurses and other medical providers about your pain and problems caused by the work injury. If you decide to speak with a nurse case manager about your work injury, it is important that what you tell them is consistent with what you have told and tell your providers. If you have to write it down, then do so because inconsistent statements can be quite damaging to your claim. If you decide to hire an attorney in your case, then usually your attorney will instruct the medical case manager to not talk to you, but rather talk to your attorney. This way, it is less likely that you will say something to a nurse case manager that will damage your claim.