Supporting your injured worker
An injury that prevents someone from working is more than a physical obstacle. Injured workers worry about providing for their families and when they can return to work.
Although we provide assistance to injured workers in our Worker Guide, we have included a number of tools here to support your injured worker.
Injured worker benefits
The injured worker benefits page describes what your employee can expect in the way of compensation for an injury. These benefits are established by the Oregon Legislature.
Employer-at-Injury Program
The Employer-at-Injury Program is just one of several options available to help your employee return to work as soon as medically feasible. Learn more on our getting back to work page.
Managed care organizations
SAIF contracts with a number of managed care organizations (MCOs) to provide medical care to injured workers. MCOs in turn contract with physicians, hospitals, and other health care providers to deliver quality medical care to workers with job-related injuries or illnesses.
MCOs develop treatment standards that emphasize quality medical care, disability management, and cost containment. The providers who contract with the MCO agree to adhere to these standards.
Ultimately it is your employee's responsibility to choose a medical provider and get the recommended treatment.
Your role in managed care
Introduce your employees to the concept of managed care. We suggest you call a general staff meeting and explain managed care procedures prior to the injury. Make sure your employees know which local providers are MCO members.
MCOs and claims
When a claim is accepted, the worker will be notified in writing if he or she will be enrolled in an MCO and will receive an MCO physician directory. Once enrolled, the worker will be required to seek treatment from an MCO provider or qualified family physician.
For the most up to date provider lists, use the websites below to find a medical provider, hospital, or facility in your area.
If you would like to print a list of medical providers for your employee, use one of these links:
Communication
Throughout the recovery process, communication is the key. Maintaining contact with your employee and keeping in touch with the attending physician about available work will help reduce anxiety about returning to work. Encourage your employee to follow through with recommended care to avoid long-term complications whenever possible.
Other things to know: worker resources
You also can help your employee through the process by directing her to the resources in the Worker Guide. The Guide has helpful information for workers about reporting an injury, managing a claim, and much more.
Confidentiality
Your SAIF workers' comp policy includes an endorsement regarding the confidentiality of personal information in a claim.
SAIF's confidentiality policy
- The policyholder agrees to hold all information provided by SAIF in trust and confidence.
- The policyholder and its employees shall not disclose confidential information about an injured worker to anyone except SAIF unless required to do so by law or with the written consent of the injured worker. The policyholder will take steps necessary to protect the confidentiality of information about injured workers, including obtaining specific contractual promises from its employees and agents not to disclose any confidential information except as provided in this endorsement. The policyholder shall not use confidential information for purposes other than those necessary to directly further the purposes of this endorsement.
- The policyholder shall not use confidential information in such a manner that is likely to allow other persons to know the name or identity of an injured worker, or allow other persons to know any other particulars of a worker's injury claim, except for those matters over which policyholder as an employer has the ability and the right to direct and control. In no case shall policyholder use confidential information either singly or in concert to discriminate unlawfully against any injured worker.
- As used in this endorsement, "confidential information" means any and all medical and vocational claim records and information about an injured worker.