State WC Assigned Case Manager? HELP!!

[BooBoosNeck]

Lilly Wrote:Yes....i warn you too , to be especially careful how you answer your NCM.
For instance...If she asks you 'how are you doing today?' A normal answer from you would be 'fine, thank you!' Do not say this, as they will run back to IC and say you are feeling fine, and apparently your injury is healed. They will even try to befriend you...watch your small talk too. You can tell if they are fishing for info ...or trying to pump you.

My first NCM was the Nurse from Hell ! She was gawd awful, and the only reason i lawyered up. What a bit**

Thankfully my second NCM was short lived too, @ 2 months.

My 3rd NCM was an angel who genuinely tried to help me get the medical help I needed. She never interfered , or stuck her nose in, re: my medical care. I will aways be a bit beholding to this woman. She was my wc champion....but there are some horrible ones out there...so watch it...we're warning you!

IMO...You need to lawyer-up to protect yourself and help getting timely treatment
Lilly

Well I think I should probably lawyer up too....BUT I called around and they all (all the lawyers I called) said they wouldn't step in until I was given an impairment rating. Well, what the h*** good would that do. I need advice now! I am so frustrated!

[sparkey]

I have to say my NCM was very good about always getting me the care I needed such at PT and medications and treatments and always came into the room with me and my workers comp. advocate woman that was working for me on my side. We all sat together to work on my case with the doctor as a team to work out what was next as a plan. I had no problem with her being in the room. There was times where I wish she was not there, but most of the time it did not bother me as I had nothing to hide how I felt.

What did bother me is how I was in pain daily and I know it was her job to get me back to work ASAP even if I was in pain. My injury was my dominant hand and I was a phlebotomist and as you know it is very hard to do any type of job if you really think about it if you are right hand dominant. Well they did make up a job for me as a sitting duck in a waiting room . I give my employer alot of credit for finding me a light duty job to keep me employed but at the same time I drove a total of 4 hours a day one handed to only work 4 hours a day. That was alot of driving and on narcotics and in pain. I could only do that job for a few weeks before I was offered something better within my restrictions at my husbands work.

If I had to have a NCM again I would hope that it would be the same woman I had. There was only one time that upset me and that was when I was put on methadone and when she called me to see how the medication was doing I told her I was itching and she said " oh oh" and I said " what " and she said I will tell you at your next doctors visit. When the time came for the visit I was asked to give a urine sample and they checked me for heroin use. I was told from the NCM that heroin users usually scratch themselves till the bleed when on methadone and she was concerned that maybe I was a drug addict or something and wanted to have me checked. That insulted me and really upset me.

When my urine came back clean is when things went all back to normal and she was relieved and had her trust back into me. Also she looked at my arms to see the scratches etc. I was allergic to Methadone and had to be taken off of it due to the rash and always being hot. Once she got me back to work, she was gone.

[chrischris]

My first NCM was the wicked witch of the west.

My second, still curent NCM is an angel and has helped me many times.

It just depends. It seems the "inhouse" NCM's are the worst because they see and work with the I/C daily. The contracted ones aren't so intense, and on you like fly paper all the time.

[BooBoosNeck]

chrischris Wrote:My first NCM was the wicked witch of the west.

My second, still curent NCM is an angel and has helped me many times.

It just depends. It seems the "inhouse" NCM's are the worst because they see and work with the I/C daily. The contracted ones aren't so intense, and on you like fly paper all the time.

Thanks. My first CM assigned by the IC was awful too. This NCM has been assigned by The State Workers Comp, not my employer, not the IC, so maybe he will be good. I sure hope so. He is a contractor for the cost containment division, wc, state of NM. I guess think think they have spent too much on me. All I want is to be able to live a normal life again!!

[chrischris]

I completely understand. Take care!

[cnaz]

Our NCM was assigned within 24 hours and showed up at the hospital. The IC contracts independent RNs and so hasn't been as bad as some have experienced.

It's been a mixed bag as to how effective/helpful she's been, the most helpful was in getting durable medical equipment and finding specialists such as the nueropsych, ortho hand specialist, cardiologist etc.

Much to our suprise she argued with the IME on a couple of areas and requested the treating Drs to write a rebuttle.

We have actually had 3 in the course of just over 2 years.

She does not provide treatment but has made suggestions some good some not so good.

Good luck with yours!

[Bummer Knees]

I was in a gift shop at a motel I stayed at last week and met a lady that turned out to be a nurse case manager for wc.

What was different about this person was she was wearing bilateral wrist splints and when we started talking I learned of her occupation and that she had been in a near fatal auto accident.

She did make the comment; since her injuries she is more compassionate and sides more with the injured worker.

[chrischris]

Whether it be an injury, or losing your home, or pretty much anything else in real life, unless you've walked in another person's shoes yourself, it's pretty hard to have a true picture of what that person is going thru.

Every case and everyone is different and that goes for NCM's as well.