Why nurses are at such an elevated risk of overexertion injuries – II

Sep 01 2016

In our last post, we began discussing how those men and women who choose to enter the hospital workforce out of a genuine desire to help patients are unfortunately at an elevated risk of suffering overexertion injuries. We also discussed how this increased risk of overexertion injuries among nurses and other hospital workers could be largely attributed to manual patient handling, and how many hospitals have implemented Safe Patient Handling and Mobility programs that provide staff with specialized equipment to help move patients and keep them healthy. We’ll continue this discussion in today’s post, examining — and more importantly —…

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After SSDI: Can I return to work and still get disability benefits?

Aug 29 2016

It’s been a few years since you’ve worked. You have taken time to heal from your accident and the idea of returning to work sounds inviting. But you’re not sure if you can return full-time or whether, once back, your symptoms may increase to the point where you have to take time off again. Is there a way to try working and see whether it’s the right choice for you without losing the security of your monthly SSDI or SSI payment? While it was no doubt daunting for you to navigate applying for SSDI benefits, the good news is that…

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Why nurses are at such an elevated risk of overexertion injuries

Aug 25 2016

If you were to ask any nurse or other healthcare professional why they elected to work in a hospital setting, there’s a very good chance that most would answer that they wanted to work in an exciting atmosphere where they could make a real difference in patient care. As admirable as this is, it’s important for anyone currently working in such a position or actively debating entering the hospital workforce to understand that they are at an elevated risk of suffering what are known as overexertion injuries. For those unfamiliar with overexertion injuries, these are essentially the muscle sprains (stretching…

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How are employers responding to OSHA’s new reporting requirements?

Aug 23 2016

Most people might not realize it, but their employers are now subject to rather stringent reporting requirements concerning serious workplace injuries. Specifically, employers in all sectors — from construction to retail — must now report any and all work injuries resulting in hospitalization, eye loss and/or amputation to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration within 24 hours of the underlying accident. While this rule only took effect on January 1, 2015, the data gathered during its first year of implementation has already revealed some rather eye-opening trends concerning the frequency of serious work injuries, the sectors in which employees…

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Will the SSA review my disability even after benefits begin? – IV

Aug 18 2016

In today’s post, we’ll conclude our discussion of the avenues of appeal available to those individuals who have learned that the Social Security Administration has decided to stop their disability benefits after determining that their condition has improved and they are capable of working regularly. In our last post, we discussed the first two levels of appeal — reconsideration and a hearing before an administrative law judge. Today, we’ll explore the final two levels of review: the Appeals Council and the federal district court. Appeals Council In the event the ALJ renders an adverse decision, the next step is to…

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Will the SSA review my disability even after benefits begin? – III

Aug 16 2016

In a series of posts, we’ve been examining how the Social Security Administration conducts periodic reviews to determine whether a person is still eligible for disability benefits, meaning their health has not improved and they are otherwise incapable of working regularly. To that end, we discussed how this review process is largely undertaken by disability examiners and medical consultants employed by state agencies — like the Colorado Disability Determination Services — which forward their recommendations to the SSA. As disconcerting as it can be to learn that the SSA has decided to stop your disability benefits based on this recommendation…

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Why employers may look to wearable technology to prevent work injuries

Aug 11 2016

From smartwatches to eyeglasses with built-in internet access, the wearable technology field is booming. Indeed, industry experts are predicting that sales of these so-called “wearables” will reach as high as $10 billion per year by 2019. While the majority of people use their wearables for things like tracking fitness data, checking email or performing other everyday tasks, experts have indicated that recent advancements in the monitoring capabilities of this technology could mean that workplaces actually start deploying them as a means to prevent work injuries. While this may sound like something out of a science fiction movie, experts have identified…

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How is my medical care covered under work comp insurance? – II

Aug 09 2016

In a previous post, we started discussing how authorized medical providers treating injured workers should seek reimbursement for all reasonable and necessary medical expenses from an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier once the Admission of Liability has been filed. We also discussed how employers are free to create a list of designated physicians from whom injured workers must seek care and what happens if the employer fails to take this step. We’ll continue this discussion about workers’ compensation and medical benefits in today’s post. What expenses will an injured worker be responsible for covering?   As we mentioned above, all reasonable and…

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Will the SSA review my disability even after benefits begin? – II

Aug 06 2016

In our last post, we discussed how those people who have endured the prolonged and sometimes taxing process of securing Social Security disability benefits should be aware that at some point in the years, months or even weeks ahead, the Social Security Administration will review their medical condition to ensure that they still have qualifying disabilities. We also made clear, however, that notice of this review will be provided in advance, and that disability benefits will only stop if 1) a person’s health has seen considerable improvement and 2) they can work regularly. We’ll continue this discussion in today’s post,…

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Will the SSA review my disability even after benefits begin?

Aug 04 2016

While the process of securing Social Security disability benefits can prove to be time-consuming and perhaps even stressful for many people, these individuals can breathe a much-needed sigh of relief when their checks from the Social Security Administration start to materialize. That’s because they no longer have to worry quite as much about their inability to work preventing them from putting food on the table, keeping the electricity on or just covering the basic necessities. It’s important for people who receive disability benefits to understand, however, that they won’t automatically receive these benefits in the years, months or even weeks…

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