If you’re filing for workers’ compensation, chances are you’re going to be dealing with a lot of paperwork: some that you fill out and some that you will receive from an insurance carrier or employer. Paperwork is never fun. Especially when something as important as your workers’ compensation benefits is riding on it. The process can be made even more tedious by the fact that many of the forms are labeled by number rather than what it actually is they do. One of those many documents is likely a “Form 63”. You may be asking yourself now, “What does a Form 63 mean? Is it important that I file it?”
What is Form 63?
Also known as “Notice to Employee of Payment of Compensation Without Prejudice (G.S. § 97-18(d)) or Payment of Medical Benefits Only Without Prejudice (G.S. § 97-2(19) & § 97-25),” Filing a form 63 means that the insurance company is still investigating the claim and is accepting the claim in whole or in part for the time being. There are two sections in a Form 63.
Section 1: If section one has been checked, this means you will receive lost wages and medical compensation. If 90 days pass and the insurance company does not formally deny or accept your workers’ compensation claim, then the claim is deemed accepted.
Section 2: If section 2 is checked, then you will receive medical compensation but not lost wages.
What is the Purpose of Form 63?
Form 36 is used when a workers’ compensation claim is still under investigation, but the carrier wants to provide medical benefits for the injured employee while the investigation is ongoing.
In both cases, the insurer has not accepted responsibility for the claim yet, and therefore they are not admitting any liability. They are simply accepting that you have been injured and will provide medical treatment until a full investigation is complete.
It’s important to remember that Form 63 does not mean your claim has been accepted or denied. It is simply the insurance carrier’s way of providing medical treatment for your injury while they investigate your claim further.
Who Files for Form 63?
Different forms in Workers’ Compensation are filed by different parties. For Form 63, the one who should file it is the employer. The employer is responsible for filing Form 63 in order to ensure that the injured employee is provided medical care while their claim is being investigated. The employer will submit this form when they believe that a claim should be accepted, but they need more information before officially accepting it. This allows the injured employee to receive medical treatment, even if their claim has not been fully accepted yet.
Seek Professional Advice for Your Workers’ Compensation Claim!
The best way to navigate a workers’ comp claim is by working with an experienced attorney. We can help you understand exactly what paperwork you will encounter and what it means. Insurance carriers deal with these forms every day, but chances are you’ve never seen them before. Make sure you understand the process, every step of the way.
