Dr. Muth interviewed for US News & World Report, “5 Ways to Mitigate the Financial Downside of a Disability”
by Kimberly Palmer, May 13, 2015.
Whether you were injured on the job or fell ill, you can reduce the money stress your family will face. Read Dr. Muth’s recommendations to protect your family from experiencing the financial stress that the Muths did in the wake of a disability.
Worker’s comp roadblocks can multiply! If you are injured on the job, worker’s compensation is supposed to pay medical expenses that are necessary to diagnose and treat your injury. In addition, it should also provide disability payments while you can’t work. It may pay for retraining and other benefits if you can’t return to work due to the injury. But, the worker’s compensation system is far from straightforward. There are roadblocks on every corner at a time when you need it most.
Worker’s Comp Roadblock No. 1 occurs when an employer says your injury didn’t happen on the job. Or, they can report that you suffered the injury while you were violating company policy. When worker’s comp denies the claim, you’re facing an uphill battle. An attorney is your first line of defense.
Worker’s Comp Roadblock No. 2 can appear after you’ve hired the attorney. Suddenly, your employer can’t accommodate your work restrictions, so you’re laid off. While you may receive unemployment, it’s not enough to see you through. You lose all your work-related benefits, including medical insurance.
Worker’s Comp Roadblock No. 3 looms just around the corner when you find that you can’t even pay your living expenses while you’re fighting the claims. In addition, medical bills are escalating. A major illness is a setback even for people who feel they are set financially. Creditors may be closing in as bankruptcy nears.
Worker’s Comp Roadblock No. 4 begins when you start living under a microscope. In many states, worker’s compensation can hire investigators to watch your every move. The idea behind this is to disprove your injury. It’s no longer your word vs. your employer’s word. The worker’s compensation system is set up to challenge you on every corner.
Disability insurance helps keep you afloat if you had the foresight to purchase it before the injury. Unfortunately, many people don’t recognize the importance or feel they can’t afford it. After the injury, it’s too late.
Document every conversation. Document every medical appointment. Document everything. Documentation will help you navigate around the roadblocks. My book, The Dark Side of Injury, outlines the steps and resources you need to work with the worker’s comp roadblocks. If you’re facing a battle with worker’s compensation, don’t walk blindly into the meetings. Read my book so you’ll know what to do.
New Book “the Dark Side of Injury” Exposes the Corruption Behind Worker’s Compensation, Health Insurance, and the Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry
PALMYRA, WI–(Marketwired – February 18, 2015) – Dr. Debra Muth has worked in the medical industry for over twenty years and yet her husband became the victim of medical abuse. Dr. Muth feels “it is important to have tools to protect you and your family.”
There are roughly 3 million injured workers who reported injuries in 2013 and about 40% of those injured workers never claim benefits at all. OSHA states that worker injuries have direct costs of 1 Billon dollars a week, this does not include indirect costs for these workers.
Many people these days have stories to tell about the insults and injuries they have incurred from the medical and legal community. How many people have you heard talk about others getting rich from suing their doctors? Well it really isn’t that easy! Innocent people have had their lives changed forever because of work related injuries, medical malpractice and legal malpractice. It is important to learn how to navigate these systems to protect you and your family.
Americans are in an unusual situation these days; they are caught between being injured and trying to financially stay a float. Many are accusing them of being free loaders! They should support themselves accept their injuries by returning to work; their own doctors and our legal system have left them broke, injured and alone. How do you support yourself? How do you pay for medical expenses? How to stay functional in the world?
‘The Dark Side of Injury’, tells the tale of an injured worker in America, how the deception starts and ends. How their doctor, the legal system and their own family can cause injury and heartache. Dr. Muth feels it is important for you to know how to navigate these systems but more important is that “something good comes of a bad situation.” She shares how to stay financially and emotionally viable during these trying times.
You can purchase “The Dark Side of Injury” at Amazon.com, Serenity Health Care Center, and Henschel Publishing.com for $16.95.
About the Author
Dr. Debra Muth, ND, WHNP, APNP, BAAHP, MSNH, is a doctor who has literally healed herself. During her twenties, serious health problems began to interfere with her career she sought a new way of practicing medicine. In this book, she reveals what its like to be a medical practitioner unable to protect her husband from medical/legal injury when he was seriously injured on the job.
For more information about The Dark Side of Injury, please visit this page.