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White Paper
CorVel’s Care Advocacy Provides Injured Workers with Quality Care and Keeps Claims on Track
White Paper Summary
The first few days after a workplace injury are critical for several reasons.
First and foremost, the worker is dealing with a life-changing event. They’re often being introduced to the workers’ compensation system for the very first time. Meanwhile, unanswered questions about their health and length of recovery coupled with fears about their financial stability can cause stress and negatively impact claims outcomes.
Conversely, the employer hopes the worker will be taken care of while they monitor the claim to avoid any adverse outcomes or litigation downstream. For the employer as well as the worker, the earlier the claim is managed, the better the end result will usually be.
“Most people have no knowledge of the workers’ compensation process,” said Karen Thomas, Director of Case Management Innovation, CorVel. As a registered nurse tasked with overseeing clinical services at the company, Thomas has seen the benefits of early intervention in workers’ compensation claims.
That’s why she’s enthused about CorVel’s expanded emphasis on the value of nurses in producing good claims outcomes.
“Nurses really understand what it takes to recover,” she said.
“Sometimes there are underlying items to address in the claim that may not be as obvious to a claim adjuster, but a nurse is trained to watch for. These might include the need to call in an interpreter in order for the worker to understand the injury and treatment more clearly, or the need to educate the worker on the use of pain medication or understand the details of their prescribed treatment plan.
“When we can make these early interventions within hours or days of the injury, that’s going to have a long-term, positive effect to drive patient engagement and achieve recovery of that injury,” Thomas said.
At CorVel, getting involved in a claim early on is more than just good practice. CorVel’s Care Advocacy is designed specifically to address claims as quickly as possible to keep things moving while providing the best care for workers in the process.
Here’s why that advocacy-based approach works and what CorVel is doing to keep its program current and effective for partners.
To learn more about CorVel, please visit their website.
