By ReduceYourWorkersComp.com 01/03/2017
Notwithstanding the conventional wisdom, injured workers of any age have an interest in returning to work. Sadly this is often an over-looked part of many programs as employers and interested stakeholders focus on other issues. Now is the time to change this thought process. This is based on the reality that any workers’ compensation program can create a win for everyone by focusing on return-to-work.
Challenges When it Comes to Return-To-Work
There are many challenges employers and other stakeholders face when creating or revamping their return to work program. Due to these barriers, the people in charge of the program decide to move on and focus on other aspects of their programs. Some of the main challenges faced by workers’ compensation programs include:
• The aging American workforce. Continued anemic economic growth places pressures on the average American’s pocketbook. This has changed the thought process by employees, as they get older. When an injury occurs, employers and members of the claim management team face challenges of extended vocational rehabilitation, the possibility of retraining and the ugly specter of a permanent total disability (PTD) claim.
• The ongoing opioid drug epidemic. Change will only occur in the overuse and abuse of prescription opioid-based medications only when the hearts and minds of Americans demand real action. Until that time, all parties charged with the role of defending a workers’ compensation claim will need to keep an eye on this issue.
Countless other factors impact workers’ compensation claims management. One practical and fundamental solution is to reduce the costs in a workers’ compensation program through an effective and efficient return-to-work program.