When a workplace injury takes place, most Ohio workers are entitled to get health care to treat the injury, have their medical bills paid, get rehabilitation services if needed and to receive a portion of their wages while they recover.

The state of Ohio is trying a new program designed to lower the costs of workers' compensation to employers by getting employees back on the job sooner. The administrator of the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation says a quicker return to the job is better for workers, too.

“It’s better for the injured worker and it’s better for the employer,” he said while touting the pilot launching in the northeast portion of the state.

The Akron Beacon Journal reported that the administrator cited "delays" and "health issues" as reasons employees don't always return to work as soon as they might. The word "delays" might be a euphemism for "insurers and companies refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of valid workers' comp claims by injured employees."

Let's face it. It happens far too often. A worker is seriously injured and the insurer or his employer challenges the comp claim because it's evident that an approved claim will result in significant medical costs and wage replacement.

Hopefully, this new program will get employers and insurers on the same page when it comes to quick approval of benefits. The faster those claims are approved, the quicker medical treatments can begin and healing can start.

For those injured workers facing a denied claim, there is often little choice but to vigorously oppose the denial of their due benefits with the assistance of an attorney experienced in workers' compensation appeals.