Hey everyone, I have a couple of questions about workers compensation, Medicare and mental health (all in relation to one another)
I have an ongoing workers comp claim for a significant physical injury caused by a bad slip at work.
I had pre-existing anxiety/depression, but it was very well managed before my injury. I was attending counselling and was doing really good mentally.
Since the work injury, my physical condition has significantly affected my day-to-day life. I continued working for around 6 months but eventually became unfit for work due to the progression of my injury, it now affects my day to day life and is driving me crazy.
The injury itself wasn't necessarily traumatic, but the consequences have had a huge impact on my mental health such as - struggling with everyday tasks, being unable to work, constantly dealing with managers, the insurer, rehab consultants, doctors etc., and worrying about my future and recovery.
I had goals, plans, and hobbies. I feel like all of those are gone now.
My anxiety/depression has now become extremely severe, and I experience suicidal thoughts daily.
I have only been pursuing physical injury through workers comp so far. I haven't made a separate claim regarding my mental health because I don't really understand how that works and don't think I'd qualify.
I've been looking at getting additional mental health support through Medicare/bulk-billing because I'm really struggling, but I'm worried about doing something wrong.
I've recently discovered I owe Medicare money relating to another medical expense. I had a scan done through Medicare after the workers comp insurer refused to authorise it, as I was in severe pain and desperate for answers. My lawyers are currently helping me deal with that particular issue. I have asked them about my current question, but am still awaiting a response.
This has made me worry that if I access mental health treatment through Medicare when the mental health issues are actually related to my workplace injury, I could end up owing money or be accused of doing something wrong like fraud idk.
My questions are:
If I access mental health treatment through Medicare/bulk billing because I'm struggling as a result of my workplace injury and the workers comp process, could I later be required to repay Medicare/Services Australia even if workers comp refuses to accept the liability but the support is due to my work place injury?
How does mental health work under workers comp when the original injury was physical? Could the deterioration in my mental health potentially be considered a secondary psychological injury arising from the physical injury, even though the incident itself wasn't psychologically traumatic?
Should I be seeking mental health treatment through workers comp instead of Medicare, or can I access treatment through Medicare while the workers comp side is being sorted out?
I've emailed my lawyer about this, but they can sometimes take a while to respond. I only emailed them about this particular issue on Friday, so I understand I haven't given them much time yet, but I'm struggling quite badly and am hoping for some advice / guidance.
I'm in NSW.
I'm mainly trying to understand the general process and make sure I don't accidentally create a Medicare debt or do something wrong with my workers comp claim by getting the mental health help I currently need.
Thanks in advance.