Workers’ comp and compensable time: Navigating follow-up medical appointments

Q           Aside from initial treatment, does workers’ compensation cover nonexempt employees’ time off to attend follow-up appointments related to their injury?

Whether workers’ compensation covers nonexempt employees’ time off to attend follow-up appointments related to their injury is state-specific (and often even insurance carrier specific).

In Idaho and Utah, for example, nearly every employer is required to provide workers’ compensation coverage. Idaho and Utah employers satisfy this requirement by either purchasing a workers’ compensation insurance policy or, in limited cases, self-insuring and paying workers’ compensation benefits directly.

However, regardless of which path an employer chooses, workers’ compensation statutes and regulations in those states do not directly address whether the employer or carrier must provide workers’ compensation coverage for time spent attending follow-up medical appointments. Accordingly, whether an employer or provider compensates time spent attending follow-up treatment will likely vary according to their discretion.

Utah regulations do require, however, reimbursement for meals, lodging, and other travel expenses for workers traveling outside their communities to obtain necessary medical care. In any jurisdiction, employers and insurers should watch for similar requirements.