[MarriedtoRSD]

So we've been dealing with work comp for going on 3 years now. Lovely, wonderful people they are, oh how they really care about injured workers, they do everything possible to help... oh wait, thats just a dream I had once. So we have been trying to get the SCS Trial done for 2 yrs. It was approved by them 2 years ago! However they dont seem to want to pay for it to be done. So for the last year we have been going back and forth with them so he can maybe see if the SCS would give him relief. The Lawyer we have, which omg right now im so ****** off at her but thats another story, she has been saying all this time that they just didnt want to pay the fee schedule and wanted us to go from Michigan to Ohio to get this done. 8 hours drive one way. "They will pay 'SOME' of your travel expenses." Hello!!! Neither one of us have been able to work since he was injured, how in the hell do you expect us to travel there? Not to mention an 8 hour drive in a car for him would be excruciating for him. So today, out of the blue, someone from the w/c bureau calls me. She's very polite, seems like she is being caring and she explains to me WHY they dont want to pay for him to have it done at his PM clinic. Its not that they dont want to pay for it. Its that they want him to have it done in an actual hospital instead of an ambulatory surgical clinic. WHY THE HELL DIDNT THEY TELL US THIS 2 YRS AGO ARGHHH! WHY didnt our lawyer tell us this?? Which Im going to be asking her first thing in the morning. Im really angry over this. Oh and the cherry on top of the cake? Get this. We got a letter today, from the bureau, saying that his case file is being reviewed, to see if his medications should be reimbursed or not. WTH!!!! They been paying for his meds for the last 3 yrs and NOW they want to review his case? Hes been approved for RSD for over 2 1/2 yrs and never had any issue with his meds and NOW they are reviewing him? My husband is panicked about it because without them paying for it, he wouldnt have them. His meds run about 3k a month, we dont even get a third of that in income and just like everywhere else in the country, its tight. We're barely getting by as it is. So yeah, hes upset, which doesnt help his pain level which has been almost a constant 8 since all of this happened. Ugh, I wish I could do something to help him. I cant even rant to him though because I dont want to upset him, I dont want him seeing me upset either. Well... Anyway, I guess this was my rant today. I hope everyone else is doing good and being pain free.

[SandyRI]

I'm so sorry for what you have gone through. Have you called your lawyer? Why doesn't she have an answer to all this? Why are you even worried about it? That's HER job, NOT yours!!

If you don't feel like you can rely on her in this regard, then you should start looking for a new lawyer.

There is a WC forum here on Neurotalk. Read through all the posts. I followed the advice on the board when I fired my first lawyer and hired my current one, about 2 years ago or so. It was a good move, I needed someone that I could work with and who knew the courts and WC judges really well.

It's NOT up to the insurance company what happens to your husband's meds or with his SCS, it's up the COURT. Your lawyer should be telling you this. And when you have a question about this stuff you should camfortable calling her. WC pulls this crap all the time, DON'T SWEAT IT OUT!! Forward the letter to your lawyer and forget about it. If your doctor says that your husband needs his meds, then the judge will almost without exception decide that he gets them. I can't fathom a court is going to say no to them. I'm not sure about the SCS stuff, ask your lawyer and review the info in the SCS forum above.

This is just the beginning - when a lot of money is involved in a procedure WC gets ugly and they try to make your life miserable. At least that's what has happened to me. The Hartford has been truly evil, there is no rhyme or reason to some of the stuff they have pulled. Get ready. And get tough.

I truly wish you the best of luck. Please take care and let me know if you have any questions. XOXOX Sandy

Originally Posted by MarriedtoRSD

So we've been dealing with work comp for going on 3 years now. Lovely, wonderful people they are, oh how they really care about injured workers, they do everything possible to help... oh wait, thats just a dream I had once. So we have been trying to get the SCS Trial done for 2 yrs. It was approved by them 2 years ago! However they dont seem to want to pay for it to be done. So for the last year we have been going back and forth with them so he can maybe see if the SCS would give him relief. The Lawyer we have, which omg right now im so ****** off at her but thats another story, she has been saying all this time that they just didnt want to pay the fee schedule and wanted us to go from Michigan to Ohio to get this done. 8 hours drive one way. "They will pay 'SOME' of your travel expenses." Hello!!! Neither one of us have been able to work since he was injured, how in the hell do you expect us to travel there? Not to mention an 8 hour drive in a car for him would be excruciating for him. So today, out of the blue, someone from the w/c bureau calls me. She's very polite, seems like she is being caring and she explains to me WHY they dont want to pay for him to have it done at his PM clinic. Its not that they dont want to pay for it. Its that they want him to have it done in an actual hospital instead of an ambulatory surgical clinic. WHY THE HELL DIDNT THEY TELL US THIS 2 YRS AGO ARGHHH! WHY didnt our lawyer tell us this?? Which Im going to be asking her first thing in the morning. Im really angry over this. Oh and the cherry on top of the cake? Get this. We got a letter today, from the bureau, saying that his case file is being reviewed, to see if his medications should be reimbursed or not. WTH!!!! They been paying for his meds for the last 3 yrs and NOW they want to review his case? Hes been approved for RSD for over 2 1/2 yrs and never had any issue with his meds and NOW they are reviewing him? My husband is panicked about it because without them paying for it, he wouldnt have them. His meds run about 3k a month, we dont even get a third of that in income and just like everywhere else in the country, its tight. We're barely getting by as it is. So yeah, hes upset, which doesnt help his pain level which has been almost a constant 8 since all of this happened. Ugh, I wish I could do something to help him. I cant even rant to him though because I dont want to upset him, I dont want him seeing me upset either. Well... Anyway, I guess this was my rant today. I hope everyone else is doing good and being pain free.

[MarriedtoRSD]

I actually did contact several lawyers not long ago and not one of them wanted anything to do with it because we already had a lawyer who has been working on it and when we explained we didnt feel she was doing what needed to be done they still werent interested. Im going to call one more lawyer tomorrow but hes out of state however he is a big comp lawyer so maybe he knows of someone or has an office in Ohio as well. The thing about work comp in Ohio, its one of like the only 3 state funded work comp companies left in the country. Everyone else has gone to private comp companies. Weve gone over and over everything with our laywer and she says that in Ohio, we are at their mercy. They get to say what happens and what doesnt. But get this kicker. She said in the end when he is put at MMI he wont get a settlement. She said that they dont work that way in Ohio, that he would just get a check every 2 weeks until retirement age. Yeah, doesnt sound right, but no one else is willing to work with us so we have no clue. I have so many of my own health problems that Im unable to do "everything" for this case. The lawyer sent me an email saying that we needed to call 4 hospitals she listed info for and see if they would take him on for the scs. Yes WE need to do this. Im thinking, why do we have a lawyer? He cant do this, hes so full of morphine and oxy he doesnt know which way is up much less how to call people and ask them the right questions and Im at my whits end here myself dealing with everything. Ive already almost had a nervous breakdown dealing with my issues and his, Ive tried to explain this to the lawyer too and she just doesnt seem interested. I dont know what else to do, its like, we have a lawyer so we are screwed. wth ya know? Right now he finally fell asleep, he hasnt slept good in days, last night he whimpered all night long, I got no sleep cuz Im worried about him. Sometimes I wonder how much more he can take. Then I come here and see everyone here and how much they are hurting and I just read and cry and feel horrible for being selfish or like I need to rant. My god I dont know how you all get by day after day. Well Ill find out what she has to say on the phone in the morning and then Ill also be giving the other lawyer a call. Nothing will most likely come of it but its a shot, even if it is in the dark right?

[SandyRI]

Is there a support group in your State? Try to find others that have been in your shoes, and ask them how they have handled things.

There is no big settlement for me either. I got less than $2000 for losing most of the use of my arm and getting RSD in the bargain. That's comp. What you want are treatments for now so he can try to get back on his feet (somewhat).

DON"T EVER GIVE UP!! It's so hard. We are routing for you. And hubby. Hang in there.

You can find support groups by going to the RSDSA.org website.

Keep in touch. XOXOX Sandy