Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board


Home About Us Executives Committees Newsletters Links Contact Us	Workers Compensation Representatives Jody Jones Modified Work Representative Phil Hames	If you have need of any assistance with your W.S.I.B. (Workplace Safety and Insurance Board) claim, your Weekly Indemnity / Benefits claim, or your Modified Work Program, contact your representative. Important Note: apply for W.I. right away. You can always repay Manulife if your W.S.I.B. claim is accepted. Some of the most common reasons for W.S.I.B. claim being delayed or denied are: Lack of proof of accident or injury. Seek medical attention immediately (i.e. family doctor, walk-in clinic, hospital). Delay in reporting of injury. Report a workplace accident or injury to the employer immediately. Continuity of claim. Proof treatment is ongoing for compensable injuries (i.e. doctor visits, medications, therapy). Workers must co-operate with the Board. Non co-operation could result in reduced benefits or claim denial.

	Bill 179 - Government Efficiency Act	WSIB Policy Choice and Change of Health Professional in the Operational Policy Manual
	The Government Efficiency Act (Bill 179) amended various provisions of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA) effective November 26, 2002. This change, which affects workers receiving either future economic loss (FEL) benefits and/or loss of earnings (LOE) benefits, provides for fairer wage loss benefits by extending the final review, or allowing additional reviews due to increasing impairment. In particular, the final review provisions under s.44 of the WSIA were amended to allow for the payment of benefits where: the worker was involved in a labour market re-entry (LMR) plan and the plan was not completed at the time of the final review; or the worker experiences a significant deterioration resulting in a non-economic loss (NEL) re-determination and increase in the NEL benefit after the final review. The WSIB's interim direction on the impact of the amended review provisions, pending a review of the affected policies was outlined in the Clarification Document issued in March 2003 and posted on the WSIB's web site	Part of WSIB's commitment to quality and timely health care, the WSIB has revised its policy on Choice and Change of Health Professional, 17-01-03, in the Operational Policy manual. The revised policy came into effect on January 1, 2004. How has the policy changed? Previously, workers could make their initial choice of health professional from a chiropractor or physician. If the worker sought care from any other health professional, the WSIB required the worker to obtain a referral from a chiropractor or physician. Direct patient care access has been extended to Physiotherapists and Registered Nurses (Extended Class). This means that injured workers may now choose to seek initial treatment from a Chiropractor, Physician, Physiotherapist, or a Registered Nurse (Extended Class). On occasion, a worker may need to, or choose to, obtain health care from more than one health professional for different aspects of the same injury or illness. The revised policy allows the worker to seek care from a second health professional from a different discipline if the health care complements or supplements the care already being provided. New Health Professional's Report (Form 8) As a result of extending patient care access, there is a new Health Professional's Report (Form 8). This report provides the initial clinical information that the WSIB uses to adjudicate and manage claims. Health professionals from all four groups may now complete the Form 8.

	The Occupational Disability Response Team (ODRT) http://www.odrt.ca/ Whether you are an employer or worker, there are great benefits in knowing your rights and responsibilities. The Occupational Disability Response Team (ODRT) can provide you with these benefits. This project was established in 1990 to provide training and services regarding the workers' compensation system. It was funded by the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB) and administered by the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). The project equipped workplace representatives with essential information involving assisting disabled workers with insurance claims and preventing their prolonged absence from work. The overall goal is to assist in improving the efficiency of the Workplace Safety and Insurance system through the delivery of comprehensive training dealing with issues of workplace injuries and illness.