Workers’ comp truths

With regard to your editorial on Workers’ Compensation (BDN, May 6), I have to issue a challenge. How about doing interviews with the injured workers in this state and get their opinions on how the system is working? Every day we read and hear ads about how costs have gone down. Yes, safety rules have decreased some injuries. Yes, less lawyers are involved so the costs have fallen. However, the major reasons for the decrease in costs, in my opinion, are:

1. Employees are not reporting injuries so as to not go through the humiliation workers are made to go through to prove their injuries. Injured workers will know what I mean. They then pay for their own care while the employer takes a bow for a perfect injury-free record.

2. Injured workers, under the recent system, are required to seek care at a local sports-industrial clinic contracted by the employer. The employee cannot seek chiropractic care until 10 days after the unjury (unless he or she has a good employer who will allow him or her access to alternative care before the 10 days). The first 24 to 72 hours is the most important time to start treatment for an acute injury, not 10 days later. Most injured workers are unaware that they can seek alternative care, i.e. chiropractic, after the initial 10 days. A federal study revealed that chiropractic care for back injuries is the treatment of choice in the acute stage. The 10-day waiting period does not allow for acute treatment by a chiropractic physician.

3. Employers want to maintain a perfect, injury-free record. Workers are being coerced into not reporting the injury and then forced to be on the job when, in fact, they are unfit for even light duty. If the injured worker should be home resting, then that is where he or she should be regardless of the company’s injury record.

4. Injured workers are treated as if they had committed a crime. If you are guilty of this crime, you are then punished. Many claims are simply denied.

The system had its faults and abusers. Costs were high to allow for corporate profits by the insurers. If you are an injured worker and feel you have been wronged by the present system, send a complaint to the Workers Compensation Commission, State House Station 27, Augusta 04333-0027. Blame the medical and insurance lobby in Augusta. Check out the voting records. You should have the right to seek and obtain proper treatment for your work related injuries without being treated like a criminal. You should not have to beg for forgiveness because you may have ruined the company’s accident record. The Bangor Daily News should start interviewing the workers and not those who put profits above rights. Dr. Richard S. Horowitz Chirpractic physician Searsport