Dr. Burkett accepts all patients with work related injuries to the hand and upper extremity covered by worker comp programs. A wide variety of private insurance plans are also accepted. Non-insured patients will also find Dr. Burkett’s staff of great assistance.
Medical insurance groups, such as United Healthcare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, generally cover functional problems of the hand and upper extremity to varying degrees. Though aesthetic procedures or aesthetic portions of functional procedures are usually not covered, procedures for the treatment of hand and upper extremity problems, including hand pain, trigger finger, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendon lacerations, are commonly covered by most health insurance policies.
If your injury is work-related, your employer is required by law to pay for workers compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation insurance provides several basic benefits including medical care, supplemental job displacement benefits or vocational rehabilitation, temporary or permanent disability benefits, and death benefits. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system and patients do not need proof that their injury was someone else’s fault in order to receive these benefits.
Approximately 75 percent of hand injuries and conditions are work-related. While some may require surgery, others are conservatively treated by using a combination of physical therapy, medication, and/or splinting. Whether the problem is a simple sprain or a severe injury involving damaged nerves, lacerated tendons, or dislocations and fractures of the hand, arm or shoulder, Dr. Burkett will diagnose and evaluate your injury or condition to determine the type of inpatient and outpatient medical services and treatment that are most appropriate for you.
Work-related conditions include but are not limited to:
Our goal at Richard Burkett M.D. is to treat, rehabilitate, reduce the risk of re-injury and restore the patient’s hand and upper extremity to a healthy and functional state as quickly as possible. In order to help you return to work safely and in a timely manner, our staff is dedicated in addressing all of your concerns and maintaining communication with your employer and workers’ compensation insurance carrier. Timely medical status reports are sent concerning your evaluation, diagnosis and treatment plan and return-to-work status.
