him to drive 150 miles away to see a doctor. People are risking their lives and livelihoods when medical care should be accessible in their own communities," the letter states. Iowa workers in private companies are often forced into the same dangerous circumstances. We recently heard from an employee with Smithfield Foods who sustained a right shoulder injury that required surgery. In cases like this one, the policy at Smithfield Foods is to send all injured workers to Iowa Orthopedics in Des Moines – 200 miles away – even though several qualified orthopedic surgeons practice in the Sioux City area. The surgery took place in the morning, and the doctor released the worker to return home to Sioux City on the same day, despite her significant pain, painkiller medication, and the requirement to ice her surgical area regularly. The worker’s daughter had to stop several times on the trip back since her mother was nauseous and to reposition the ice. This experience left the worker miserable and in no condition to return to work for light duty as instructed. Under Iowa Workers' Compensation law, the employer and insurance carrier are entitled to select medical care for injured workers, provided it is appropriate and not unduly inconvenient. Rulings by Iowa’s workers’ comp commissioner confirm that requiring any worker to travel over 50 miles for a medical appointment is NOT appropriate. Yet, we know companies and insurance companies continue to push their workers into inappropriate and inaccessible medical care, violating these rulings. These two stories together highlight the challenges workers face when accessing timely and appropriate medical care for work-related injuries. Iowa policymakers should sound the alarm for Iowa workers just like Senators Grassley and Durbin and crack down on any employer – government or private – who forces employees already suffering from a work injury to travel unreasonable distances for care. Standing up for your rights, Accountable Iowa |
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