In previous years, the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation (BWC) did not have any specific rules with regard to concussion-related injuries. As of January 2020, that has changed. The new rule will make it easier for injured individuals to access services for the treatment of concussion injuries, with the hopes of avoiding sustained and deeper injuries.
Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4123-6-34 is the new rule. It states that people who have sustained a concussion and documented the injury within six weeks of the incident can file for payment of medical treatment for up to six months after the injury. The injured person can file to receive payment for treatments after that six-month mark, but such a filing will need to meet additional conditions.
This timelier approval of medical treatment will likely mean a few things. For one, injured workers may be able to remain at work for minor injuries. If workers do need to stay home to enter the hospital, then the quicker treatment may mean they can return to work faster, with faster recuperative treatment.
The new rule will likely mean that more concussion-related claims will be approved by the Ohio BWC. Claims that may have been denied or questioned more thoroughly in years past will more likely pass with the BWC’s approval going forward.
Eight specific domains of treatment will be covered by this new rule: Anxiety and mood, vestibular (dizziness, balance, and nausea), ocular, sleep, headache, cervical (neck), cognitive fatigue (slower thinking), cognitive impairment (issues with attention, memory, visual perception, or language processing).