How to Get Workers' Compensation Approval — Korean Medicine Treatment Is Also Covered
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What is workers' compensation insurance?
Workers' Compensation Insurance is a social insurance program that compensates workers for medical expenses, sickness benefits, and disability benefits when they are injured, become ill, suffer disability, or die due to work-related causes. All workers are covered, including day laborers and part-time workers.
Workers' compensation treatment is available at Korean medicine clinics
Many people mistakenly believe that workers' compensation treatment is only available at conventional hospitals, but Korean medicine clinics are also designated workers' compensation medical institutions and can legally treat workers' compensation patients. All Korean medicine therapies — acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal medicine, and chuna manipulation — are covered.
Workers' compensation application procedure
- Step 1: Report the accident to the employer and receive medical care at a medical institution
- Step 2: Submit a medical care benefit application to the Korea Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service (Korean medicine clinics can also issue this)
- Step 3: The agency reviews whether it qualifies as a work-related accident (typically within 14 days)
- Step 4: Once approved, all treatment costs are paid by workers' compensation insurance
Advantages of Korean medicine clinics for workers' compensation treatment
- Non-surgical conservative care: Effective treatment for musculoskeletal injuries without surgery
- Combined therapy: Acupuncture, chuna, herbal medicine, and physical therapy combined for faster recovery
- Sequelae management: Continued constitutional improvement and recurrence prevention even after pain subsides
Worried your workers' comp claim won't be approved?
Even if your application is denied, you can reapply through the appeal process (review request, re-review request). The key is proving the causal link between work and injury, so please carefully prepare an accident report, medical certificate, and statements from coworkers. Our clinic can assist you with workers' compensation paperwork.