Expenses that will not be reimbursed
The Workers’ Compensation Act offers reimbursement of a number of expenses in connection with the examination and treatment of an industrial injury, but there are also a number of expenses that will not be reimbursed.
The Workers’ Compensation Act does not cover the following expenses:
- Lawyers’ bills
- Compensation for lost earnings
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for tort
- Expenses for transport to and from work
- Expenses paid by the employer
- Expenses for certain types of treatment
- Things that have been ruined
- Home help etc.
Are you in doubt as to whether you can get reimbursement?
If you are in doubt as to whether you can get reimbursement of an expense, you should get advance approval from your employer’s insurers. Then you will be certain that you will not have to cover the expense yourself.
Lawyers’ bills
The Workers’ Compensation Act does not cover all expenses towards a lawyer or trade union that you have asked to help you while the case is pending.
Compensation for lost earnings
The Workers’ Compensation Act does not reimburse lost earnings in the sick-leave period after an industrial injury. This means that you will not get reimbursement of your salary or wages while you are ill.
You may have lost earnings reimbursed under the Damages Liability Act.
If we have asked you to see a doctor, the Workers’ Compensation Act covers lost earnings in the hours when you were absent from work due to the medical examination.
Compensation for pain and suffering
Under the Workers’ Compensation Act you cannot get compensation for pain and suffering. You may get compensation for pain and suffering under the Damages Liability Act, for instance if you have been a victim to violence under particularly offensive circumstances.
Compensation for tort
Under the Workers’ Compensation Act you cannot get compensation for tort.
Expenses for transport to and from work
Under the Workers’ Compensation Act you cannot get reimbursement of any extra costs for transport (e.g. taxi) that you might have to pay in order to get to work for a period of time after the industrial injury.
Expenses paid by the employer
The expenses incurred by your employer in connection with your industrial injury are not reimbursed under the Workers’ Compensation Act. This applies for instance to ruined tools or payment of a substitute because of the injury.
Expenses for certain types of treatment
We only reimburse expenses for certain types of medicine and treatment which are necessary in order to achieve the best possible cure of the effects of the industrial injury.
Red more – Expenses for treatment, medicine, and aids, etc.
You cannot get reimbursement of expenses for:
- Tension treatment (is only reimbursed if an element of other treatment covered by the Workers’ Compensation Act)
- Alternative treatment in the form of e.g. acupressure therapy, kinesiology, natural medicine, etc.
- Treatment which alone has a temporary, symptom-relieving effect
- Treatment in private hospitals and clinics, except where the treatment cannot be given in one of the country’s public hospitals
- "Soft" laser treatment (is only reimbursed if an element of treatment by a physiotherapist/chiropractor)
- Retraining of patients with brain damage, this not having a permanent curative effect
- Gymnastics and physical training, including Mensendieck gymnastics and sequential training (is only reimbursed if an element of other treatment that we pay for)
- Massage (is only reimbursed if an element of other treatment by a physiotherapist)
- Swimming (is only reimbursed if in specially heated water and if swimming has been prescribed by a doctor as a necessary part of the treatment)
Things that have been ruined
The Workers’ Compensation Act does not cover ruined clothes, wristwatches, etc. Nor does the Act cover extra expenses for washing and cleaning of clothes as the result of an industrial injury.
You can, however, get reimbursement of expenses for personal aids (for instance glasses, prostheses, etc.) which have been damaged due to your work.
Home help etc.
Home help, home nursing, cleaning in the home, garden help etc., are not a necessary part of any treatment. Therefore the Workers’ Compensation Act does not cover that kind of expenses. This also applies to general household articles.
Nor does the Workers’ Compensation Act cover all expenses for building projects in the home or for instance higher costs for heating the home.
You may contact your local authority, who will reimburse certain costs under the social legislation.