Your doctor can provide better treatment than the company nurse.

Employers and insurance carriers can lower their workers’ compensation costs by the thousands by taking control of an injured workers’ care from the onset of injury. This is why employers often provide nurse case managers to monitor claims. However nurse case managers can also be expensive. That is why some employers are turning to an even cheaper alternative: nursing triage services on company premises or at nearby clinics.

The reality is that these nursing services are just another way to keep costs down, by reducing the likelihood that workers will seek the care of real physicians.

Nursing triage services, or company nurses as they are often called, are presented to workers as a benefit. They are presented as knowledgeable and experienced in treating workplace injuries, and it may seem as though they are there simply to provide solid medical care. The reality is that these nursing services are just another way to keep costs down, by reducing the likelihood that workers will seek the care of real physicians.

Company nurses simply do not deliver what injured workers are entitled to Continue reading →