Treatment by WCB considered unfair
By Letter to the Editor on April 30, 2018.
I am writing with concerns about the WCB board. On July 13, 2016, I went to emergency at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital because my whole right side was numb. I was diagnosed with CTS and after a few doctor’s appointments had surgery Oct. 26, 2016, on my right wrist. About two weeks after surgery my left wrist experienced the same symptoms and I had surgery on Jan. 6, 2017. Workers Compensation Board covered the right hand from a previous injury but cut me off WCB five days after surgery on my left hand. I guess they thought my two hands don’t work together and that I was fit to go back to work using my right hand only. I asked my family doctor about my options and he said talk to my MLA, so I contacted my MLA and sent in a letter voicing my concerns. On Feb. 12, I sent in my consent form and three hours later they called me back and said they couldn’t do a thing because I had earlier filed a lawsuit against the Alberta government (Medicine Hat Police Service) over an unrelated matter. My MLA suggested I talk to Legal Aid. To make a long story as short as possible I have been working and living in pain since July 13, 2016. My employer has put work restrictions on me, I have tried to do my regular work duties on a few different occasions and my hands just swell up. I also have a couple other injuries that I have been working with. Troy Ball Medicine Hat 10-9
Troy, lets be clear on one thing that most people get wrong. WCB is an insurance company and that is it. They are not a government agency, so asking your MLA for help is as about as good as asking your mechanic to help fight WCB.
I speak with over 40 years of experience fighting WCB, the only way to win is “APPEAL” WCB trains their “Case Workers” who have a 2 year life span with WCB, these case workers are taught to say “NO”. As you discovered, WCB does not care if you go hungry, cold or distraught. the case workers report directly to their “Case Managers” who make sure you get treated just like every claimant does, with a big fat juicy “NO”.
I have won every appeal against WCB that I brought forward. Here is my advice, write this down, seriously. When ever you call WCB or whenever WCB calls you, you keep a journal. I can’t stress this enough. Write down, the time, the date and a brief synopsis of the conversation.
Keep this journal in a safe dry area, you may need it 10 years from now, so be prepared. The next piece of advice, never swear at your Case Worker, never raise your voice to your case worker. ALWAYS be polite, they are trained to raise your hackles without you even realizing this. Once you cross that line, good luck talking to a case worker again.
Next thing to do, is get an update on your file. You call the toll free number and request an “Update on your file” As long as you have a valid claim against WCB you are entitled to a free update. The update will be everything they have recorded on your file and sent to you in paper. Keep that close to your journal in a safe dry area, you may need it 10 years from today. Also the update will help you in your appeal, sometimes we get to use the WCB’s own words against them, read that update ever so closely.
Just because a WCB doctor made you look like you are just trying to weasel money from them doesn’t make it true and WCB would sooner give these hired gun doctors $2500.00 for a report so poorly written just so they don’t have to pay you $1.00
If you are ready to appeal, request from your case worker that you want the phone number to “the Office of Appeals Advisor”, actually you can contact them at any time and they will tell you if you have a case or not. What that does, is notify the WCB you’re going to appeal their decision.
The last piece of advice I will offer you, stop complaining publicly on how the WCB wronged you, that sounds bitter I know, I could write a 700 page book on how they wronged me and it would get me no closer to my goal and my goal and yours is to receive fair and equal treatment that are mandated by the government.
WCB toll free # 1-866-922-9221
Office of Appeals Advisor … use the toll free number, then the number below.
Calgary 403-517-6220
Edmonton 780-498-8640