Always report any changes in your Workers’ Compensation payments to the Social Security Administration. Social Security payments are offset by Workers’ Compensation benefits. Therefore, any changes in your Workers’ Compensation may affect your SSD benefits.
Any medical treatment that is related to your Workers’ Compensation claim MUST be put through your Workers’ Compensation insurance, not Medicare.
You must notify the Workers’ Compensation carrier and the Social Security Administration immediately if you return to work. Social Security has a program called the ticket-to-work program, which can allow you to attempt to return to work without jeopardizing your entitlement to benefits in the future if working is too difficult.
Prior to settling your Workers’ Compensation case, you should notify your attorney that you are receiving SSD benefits. Our office will make sure that we include an allocation in your settlement agreement in order to attempt to maximize your benefits.
Continue to treat with your doctor, even if you are classified with a permanent disability. Once you are classified with a permanent disability for your Workers’ Compensation case, you are no longer required to see a doctor every 90 days to continue your Workers’ Compensation payments, and many injured workers stop treating with their doctors. Social Security will do periodic reviews of your medical condition to ensure that you have not improved to a point where you are no longer eligible for benefits. Therefore, it is important to continue to treat with a doctor, even though it may not be required for Workers’ Compensation any longer.
