Treatment in a Dedicated Rehabilitation Facility for Workers’ Comp

When a work-related injury causes serious, long-term impairments, recovery often requires more than just a few doctor’s visits or physical therapy sessions. In some cases, the best path to healing includes treatment in a dedicated rehabilitation facility — either as an inpatient or outpatient.

At Employees First Labor Law, we help injured workers access the full scope of rehabilitative services they’re entitled to under California workers’ compensation law — and we understand how that level of care can substantially increase the value of your case.

What Is a Dedicated Rehabilitation Facility?

A rehabilitation facility is a specialized center that provides coordinated medical, therapeutic, and support services to help individuals regain function and independence after a serious injury or illness.

These facilities may offer:

Inpatient rehabilitation (you stay overnight and receive 24-hour care)
Outpatient rehabilitation (you travel to the facility for therapy but live at home)

Common services include:

Physical therapy
Occupational therapy
Speech therapy
Pain management
Mental health support
Case management and vocational rehabilitation

When Is Inpatient Rehab Appropriate?

Inpatient rehabilitation is typically recommended for workers with:

Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Multiple fractures or complex orthopedic injuries
Post-surgical complications or infections
Neurological conditions like stroke or nerve damage
Severe psychiatric breakdowns tied to work trauma

In these settings, patients may receive 3+ hours of therapy per day, alongside 24-hour nursing, social services, and medical supervision. A team of doctors, therapists, and nurses monitors your progress and adjusts your care plan in real time.

Why it matters: Inpatient care shows the injury is severe and disruptive to daily life — factors that drive up both your Temporary Disability and Permanent Disability ratings.

What Is Outpatient Rehab — and When Is It Used?

Outpatient rehabilitation may be appropriate when:

You’re medically stable and don’t require 24/7 care
You have transportation and support at home
Your condition improves with scheduled therapies but not hospitalization

This includes:

Post-operative therapy (e.g., ACL or rotator cuff repair)
Back, neck, or shoulder pain recovery
Mild to moderate neurological or orthopedic injuries
Chronic pain management programs

Even though outpatient programs are less intensive than inpatient rehab, they’re still critical to recovery — and insurance companies often try to cut them short or deny extended sessions. That’s when EFLL steps in.

How Does Rehabilitation Impact the Value of a Workers’ Comp Case?

1. Rehabilitation = Higher Claim Value

Rehabilitation is extensive and demonstrates lasting harm — and that’s a good thing for your case, so long as it’s medically necessary. Extensive therapy and long-term care:

Document the seriousness of the injury
Justify longer periods of Temporary Total Disability (TTD) payments
Support higher Permanent Disability (PD) ratings
Help unlock access to Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits (SJDB) and vocational retraining

Important: Never let the insurance company push you into a low-ball settlement before you’ve completed rehab. Your long-term outcome — and settlement value — may not be clear yet.

2. Proving Future Medical Needs

When a worker undergoes inpatient or extended outpatient rehab, doctors often identify future care needs, such as:

Ongoing therapy sessions
Pain injections or medication management
Assistive devices (braces, walkers, wheelchairs)
In-home nursing or home health care
Modifications to home or vehicle

These needs increase the future medical award value or may justify a higher Compromise & Release (C&R) lump sum settlement.

3. Permanent Work Restrictions and Lost Earning Capacity

Rehab often ends with a report that includes Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) and Work Status Reports. These determine:

Whether you can return to your old job
If you require accommodations or a modified role
If you need to be retrained for a new occupation

This has major value implications for vocational experts, disability ratings, and structured settlement discussions.

Common Tactics Insurance Companies Use to Deny Rehab

We frequently see insurers:

Deny inpatient rehab requests, citing cost or “lack of medical necessity”
Approve only minimal outpatient sessions (e.g., 6 instead of 24)
Cut off therapy too soon by pressuring doctors to issue MMI (Maximum Medical Improvement) prematurely
Refuse to pay for transportation to/from rehab
Suggest the worker “isn’t trying hard enough” to improve

These tactics are not only unfair — they violate your right to reasonable and necessary medical care under Labor Code § 4600. When this happens, we request expedited hearings and compel authorization.

Real EFLL Case Example

Case: TBI Victim Denied Inpatient Rehab

Our client, a delivery driver, suffered a traumatic brain injury after a warehouse accident. Though the neurologist ordered inpatient neuro-rehabilitation, the carrier denied the request, calling it “excessive.”

Our Response:

We subpoenaed multiple specialist reports showing cognitive decline
Filed for an expedited hearing
Demonstrated how failure to approve would lead to permanent deficits

✅ Result: Judge ordered approval of a 30-day inpatient program
✅ Case settled for over $450,000, factoring in extensive rehab and future care needs

How EFLL Helps Injured Workers Access and Leverage Rehab

We work directly with treating physicians and rehab facilities to:

Prepare solid Requests for Authorization (RFAs)
Challenge UR/IMR denials of inpatient and outpatient care
Show how rehab justifies higher TTD periods and PD ratings
Present evidence of permanent restrictions and retraining needs
Negotiate higher settlements based on the full picture of your injury

Don’t Let the Insurance Company Deny You the Rehab You Need

Rehabilitation is not a luxury — it’s a right under California law. Whether you need a short outpatient program or an extended inpatient stay, you deserve every opportunity to recover fully and regain control of your life.

Call Employees First Labor Law today for a free consultation.
✅ We’ll review your case
✅ Fight denials or delays in treatment
✅ Maximize your claim value — including medical care, disability pay, and settlement

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