Can a doctor release somone to return to work without seeing them first?
By nubsnovets
@nubsnovets (72)
United States
March 15, 2008 3:07pm CST
My mom injured herself at work. She has been going to her doctor and physical therapy. Now the insurance lady for workman's comp has been calling my mom twice daily wanting to know if she felt like she could go back to work. My mom told her no. She asked my mom if she thought if she could lift 5 lbs and my mom said to her, if you mean lift a mop bucket then no. This insurance lady then sent paperwork to my mom's doctor asking him to release her to return to work, lifting up to 20lb. The doctor actually signed this and sent it back to the insurance lady. Now they went my mom to return to work tonight. The last time my mom went to the doctor she was given a doctors note that didn't release her to go back to work until after the 23rd. She doesn't see the doctor again until the 19th. She also hasn't been cleared from physical therapy yet. How can a doctor release her back to work when he didn't even make a doctors appointment for my mom about this? The doctor hasn't even called my mom to tell her that he did this and never called and asked her if she felt she was able to return to work sooner. The only way she found out about his was through this insurance lady that I feel is borderline harassing her. My mom had to call the doctor's office and ask the secretary if this was true or not. Well they want her back to work tonight. I don't want her to go. But she's afraid of loosing her job. Does anyone have advise?
1 person likes this
2 responses
@JohnSteel (75)
• United States
15 Mar 08
Get in contact with the doctor and find out why he signed the paper. Also get in contact with her physical therapist and ask about going back to work. I'd file a complaint about the insurance lady with her boss also. Something not right is going on when she calls up twice a day and then sends a fourm to her doctor for her to go back to work early. Doctors are not supposed to do things like that without determining if it is safe for their patents. I'd also file a complaint against the doctor with the office he/she works at if it wasn't an honest mistake on the part of the doctor.
1 person likes this
@Ridgydidge (558)
• Australia
16 Mar 08
I can't really advise you on your situation as different countries have different rules, but I know where you are coming from. The same thing happened to my husband a few years ago.
He was off on Workers Comp, their people would constantly be in contact with us via paperwork or calls to see how he was going. In Australia if you are on sickness benifits for over 18 months they will consider you for a pension. (doesn't mean you get it 
). My husband's doctor was always saying he couldn't work gave him certificates for that as well. Weeks before the 18 months time frame, his doctor was contacted by the Workers Comp people and suddenly he was given clearance. His condition hadn't changed, yet suddenly he was able to go back to work. You work that one out. Down side is when he went back to his job, it had new management there and they REALLY didn't want him there, gave him the worst work assignments that he ended up quitting the job. So that was 18 months of our life wasted, If Workers Comp were any good, they should have thought about retraining when he was first dignosed.
Sorry for my winge, I know it doesn't really help your situation, can your get your mum into another doctors? Even to get her out of work tonight? Other wise if she does go to work shouldn't someone from the insurance be going with her to see if she can handle the workload???
Or at lease a supervisor should be checking on how she is before starting.
Good luck and let us know how it goes.
). My husband's doctor was always saying he couldn't work gave him certificates for that as well. Weeks before the 18 months time frame, his doctor was contacted by the Workers Comp people and suddenly he was given clearance. His condition hadn't changed, yet suddenly he was able to go back to work. You work that one out. Down side is when he went back to his job, it had new management there and they REALLY didn't want him there, gave him the worst work assignments that he ended up quitting the job. So that was 18 months of our life wasted, If Workers Comp were any good, they should have thought about retraining when he was first dignosed.
Sorry for my winge, I know it doesn't really help your situation, can your get your mum into another doctors? Even to get her out of work tonight? Other wise if she does go to work shouldn't someone from the insurance be going with her to see if she can handle the workload???
Or at lease a supervisor should be checking on how she is before starting.
Good luck and let us know how it goes. 