WHAT VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE?
If your injury does not permit you to return to your former employment activities or other suitable employment, you are entitled to vocational rehabilitation services. These are designed to return you to work hopefully at an equivalent hourly rate of pay or salary. This can include assistance in locating work, and additional technical training or schooling. Insurance companies are often reluctant to involve themselves in this aspect of your claim and instead offer what they call “medical management”. Medical management amounts to a company nurse or other specialist seeing you at your home or accompanying you to doctor visits. Your participation in medical management is not required by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act and your benefits may not be properly terminated if you refuse such assistance. When it becomes apparent that the employee will be unable to resume his regular duties or when the total period of lost time exceeds 120 continuous days, whichever occurs first, the emplo
