This week, we recognize National Primary Care Physicians Week and the doctors who do something increasingly difficult in modern medicine: actually get to know their patients.

Primary care physicians are often the first call when something isn't right. They treat the everyday illnesses, manage chronic conditions, coordinate specialty care, keep track of medications and, perhaps most importantly, develop relationships with patients over years.

They know your medical history. They know what is normal for you. Sometimes they even remember the thing you were hoping they had forgotten since your last physical.

At The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC, we also see another important role primary care physicians can play: helping injured workers recover after a workplace injury.

Ohio Workers' Compensation Can Complicate the Doctor-Patient Relationship

When you're hurt at work, you might naturally think:

“I'll just go see my regular doctor.”

Unfortunately, it isn't always that simple.

Not every physician is willing to treat patients through the Ohio workers' compensation system. 

Ohio’s Workers' compensation treatment involves complicated rules, additional paperwork, authorization requirements, communication with managed care organizations and the BWC, medical documentation addressing the allowed conditions, and forms concerning an injured worker's ability to return to work.

For a busy primary care practice, that can be a lot to take on and most don’t.

As a result, an injured worker may discover that the physician who has treated them for years doesn't handle workers' compensation claims.

That's frustrating for the patient and we understand why many physicians find the system frustrating, too.

Why a Good Treating Physician Matters

Now, outside of Workers’ Compensation they can be critical.  Kurt himself has not once but twice had his primary care doctor diagnose an issue no one else spotted and it is not a stretch to say saving his life. 

In an Ohio workers' compensation claim, medical care and legal issues frequently overlap.

Your physician isn't just treating the injury. Medical evidence can be critical when determining your restrictions, ability to return to your former job, need for treatment, additional conditions and eligibility for certain forms of compensation.

That makes having a physician who understands both you and the workers' compensation process especially valuable.

And that's why we appreciate the primary care physicians who are willing to care for injured workers.

They aren't just filling out forms. They're treating a person who wants to recover, get back to work when medically appropriate and get back to everyday life.

To Ohio's Primary Care Physicians: Thank You

Primary care doctors are asked to do an extraordinary amount these days—and somehow still expected to accomplish it during an appointment that never seems long enough.

So during National Primary Care Physicians Week, we'd like to say thank you.

Thank you for taking the phone calls.

Thank you for reviewing the records.

Thank you for completing the paperwork.

Thank you for explaining restrictions.

Thank you for coordinating care.

And a special thank you to the physicians who are willing to navigate the additional challenges that come with treating Ohio's injured workers.

At The Law Offices of Kurt M. Young, LLC, we've spent more than three decades representing injured workers. One thing we've learned during that time is that a good attorney can help navigate the legal system—but good medical care is essential to getting an injured worker back on their feet.

This week, we're grateful for the primary care physicians who make that possible.

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