Workers’ Compensation

For Academic Division Supervisors and Staff – Workers’ Compensation Responsibilities

Employees of the University are responsible for conducting their work assignments in a safe and healthful manner in order not to expose themselves or colleagues to risks of bodily harm. When employees are injured while on the job from a risk not shared by the general public, or if they feel ill and suspect their illness is due to their work, it is their responsibility to report the injury and follow the guidelines below. Managed Care Innovations investigates each claim before making a determination. If the employee disagrees with the decision, they have the option of filing an appeal with the Commission.

Supervisors can assist their staffs by familiarizing themselves with these guidelines and being prepared to help facilitate the workers’ compensation process, both by fulfilling their responsibilities (see numbers 2, 5a, and 6, below) and helping ensure that employees follow their guidelines. While these guidelines are available on the Web, not all University employees have ready access to the Internet, and some may be uncomfortable searching for and reading online information. Supervisors may wish to make printed copies of these Workers’ Compensation checklists available for their staffs.

Step	Task	Who	When
1.	Report your injury or illness to your supervisor.	Employee	Immediately—within two working days after the accident
1a.	If your supervisor is unavailable, contact their designated replacement or their supervisor.	Employee	Immediately, if step 1 cannot be accomplished
2.	Receive a list of physicians (called UVA’s Workers’ Compensation Attending Physician Panel). This list is also available from Linda Coiner in the UHR Benefits Division at 434.924.8939 and on the UHR website at http://hr.virginia.edu/uploads/documents/media/wcpanel.pdf .	Supervisor.  If supervisor is unavailable, employee should obtain this list	Immediately
3.	Choose an attending physician from the list.  Then indicate your choice on the list, sign the document, and return it to your supervisor.  (If you choose to see a physician who is not on the University’s Attending Physician Panel, you will personally be held responsible for any medical expenses and lost work time involved.)	Employee	Immediately
4.	Make an appointment with your chosen attending physician, and explain that you are a UVa employee who was injured at work or became ill because of your work.	Employee	As soon as medically necessary
4a.	For emergency treatment, go to the UVa Hospital or Martha Jefferson Hospital emergency room for an initial visit and then follow up with one of the physicians on the list (see Step 2).	Employee	Immediately if an emergency
4b.	Report this emergency to your supervisor immediately afterwards.	Employee	Immediately--within two working days after the accident
5	At your medical appointment, your attending physician will determine whether or not you should be excused from work and, if so, will give you a written work excuse. You must turn this work excuse in to your supervisor.	Employee	As soon as possible after your physician appointment
5a.	If you turn in a work excuse to your supervisor, your supervisor must submit a copy to Linda Coiner in the UHR Benefits Division.	Supervisor	As soon as possible
6.	Your supervisor will report your injury or illness to Linda Coiner in the UHR Benefits Division by calling 924.8939 or sending an email to lgc3u@virginia.edu.	Supervisor	Immediately
7.	When Managed Care Innovations (MCI) contacts you for additional information, respond as soon as possible to their questions and phone calls. This information is needed to validate your claim, so it is to your advantage to respond immediately.	Employee	As soon as possible, once you are contacted.  MCI usually contacts employees within 24 hours.
8.	If you receive bills for medical care and/or prescriptions related to your injury or illness, contact the organization sending you each bill and inform them that the injury or illness was work-related. Inform them that bills should be sent to: MCI Division of Risk Management P.O. Box 1140 Richmond, VA 23218-1121	Employee	Immediately—if you receive bills
8a.	Employees may contact MCI at 804.649.2288 with any questions.	Employee	Optional
9.	If you are enrolled in the Virginia Sickness and Disability Program (VSDP) and will be absent from work for more than seven calendar days, you must call 1.800.652.5602 to apply for disability benefits.	Employee	As soon as you are seen by a physician and are out of work
9a.	Contact your supervisor or the HR Service Center at 982.0123 if you are uncertain about whether or not you are enrolled in VSDP	Employee
10.	If your attending physician prescribes a medication for your injury or illness, you must fill it through a participating First Script pharmacy. The First Script network includes all major pharmacy chains, grocery stores, discount stores, and many single-location pharmacies.  To locate a pharmacy, call 1-800-753-8835 or visit the Virginia Workers’ Compensation website at www.covwc.com.	Employee
10a.	First Script operates with the use of a generic pharmacy card, which your attending physician will give you if you receive a prescription.	Employee	Present the drug card to your pharmacy at the time you receive a prescription medication.
10b.	When you submit your first prescription at the pharmacy, present your pharmacy card. The pharmacy will check for eligibility. The pharmacy will fill your first prescription and will verify that the claim has been accepted before allowing any refills.	Employee
11.	The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act (Title 65.2) and the Virginia Personnel Act provide compensation to you or your dependents in the event of injury, illness, or death “arising out of and in the course of employment.”  The injury must arise from a risk not shared by the general public.  To receive these benefits, you must meet the criteria described in numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4 above.  NOTE: If you refuse to accept medical care when provided by a panel physician, you will be disqualified from further compensation until you choose to accept this care. Failure to follow the prescribed treatment of your physician may result in the cancellation of all compensation.	Employee
11a.	If your injury or illness is accepted as compensable under the Workers’ Compensation Act, the University will pay salary compensation and medical care costs. If your injury or illness is not a result of your work, you will be held responsible for both time lost from work and for your medical care costs. Managed Care Innovations investigates each claim before making a determination.  If the employee disagrees with the decision, they have the option of filing an appeal with the Commission.	Employee	Provide information to your health care provider about other insurance you may have should your injury or illness not be considered work related.

If you have questions regarding UVA Workers’ Compensation policies and procedures or the Workers’ Compensation Act, please contact:

• Linda Coiner
  University Human Resources Benefits Division
  914 Emmet Street
  Phone: 434-924-8939, 8AM – 5PM, Monday – Friday
  Email: lgc3u@virginia.edu
  Fax: 434-924-4486