Can I Receive Mental Health Coverage through Workers’ Compensation?

We are deeply sympathetic if you are someone who struggles with anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). If you believe your mental health struggles were kick-started by something that happened in your workplace, or your experience in that work environment overall, allow us to help you tie this into a valid workers’ compensation claim. You should not enter this claim process alone, as mental conditions are notoriously more difficult to establish than physical conditions. Without further ado, please follow along to find out whether you can receive mental health coverage through the workers’ compensation program, and how one of the proficient lawyers in qualifying Florida workers’ compensation injuries at The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore can help you receive the aid you deserve.

How can my work experiences cause my mental health issues?

You may be surprised to learn that workers’ compensation can be distinguished between physical-mental, mental-mental, and mental-physical claims. All of these draw a direct causation between a workplace incident and your claimed mental health condition, but more specific examples read as follows:

• Physical-mental claim: this may apply if you incurred a physical injury in a workplace accident, and it eventually developed into a mental health issue (i.e., your limited mobility has caused you to become depressed over your diminished quality of life).
• Mental-mental claim: this may apply if you witnessed a violent event in the workplace and you struggle with your mental health afterwards (i.e., you saw a coworker in a catastrophic accident, and now you have PTSD flashbacks of the incident).
• Mental-physical claim: this may apply if your mental health issue is exacerbated at work and manifests into a physical ailment (i.e., you experience extreme anxiety from your workplace pressures and experience a heart attack or cardiac event).

Can I get workers’ compensation coverage for mental health issues?

Of note, you may have a stronger case for benefits with a physical-mental claim, and a weaker case with a mental-physical claim. This is especially true because Florida law generally excludes mental health issues only caused by stress or job dissatisfaction from getting covered. Nonetheless, you may still have several avenues to earn workers’ compensation for your ongoing mental health needs. 

For one, your authorized treating physician may refer you to a psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health counselor, or another specialist after your work-related incident. So you may be eligible to get your therapy sessions compensated. Then, if a psychiatrist believes it is medically necessary for you to take medication, this may be considered in your claim, as well. But even if your coverage is approved, you must anticipate further roadblocks or limitations.  

We understand just how difficult it may be to balance your mental health with your workload. So please, allow one of the talented lawyers in qualifying Florida workers’ compensation injuries to do the legal work for you, so that you may prioritize your well-being. Please contact us at The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore today.