Rehabilitation Benefits
Vocational Rehabilitation benefits are available to eligible employees. An employee is eligible to receive the benefits if they are unable to return to work for the former employer or the same type of work due to your work injury. If the employee is eligible, the workers compensation insurance company is required to hire a Qualified Rehabilitation Consultant (commonly called a QRC). A QRC is obligated to work in the best interests of the employer and the employee. The QRC is responsible for helping the injured employee return to work that is within the employee’s physical restrictions set by their doctor. The employer/insurer can choose the QRC, but the employee can change QRC’s within 60 days of a signed rehabilitation plan, or after 60 days for reasonable cause. The QRC will occasionally attend doctor appointments with the employee, give the employee job leads for new employment, and determine if the employee is eligible for retraining.
Retraining
If the employee is unable to find a suitable job within their restrictions, the QRC can formulate a Retraining Plan. If the retraining plan is approved, the insurer may be obligated to pay tuition for the retraining program as well as books, mileage and temporary total disability benefits for up to 156 weeks (3 years).
