The most useful request explains what you cannot do safely, what specific help is proposed, and why the work injury makes it necessary. This guide focuses on arranging support in an open claim. For the broader system, see our Indiana workers’ compensation guide.
What standard applies?
Before permanent impairment is adjudicated, IC 22-3-3-4[2](a) requires the employer to furnish an attending physician and the services and products the physician or Board deems necessary, without charge to the employee. During temporary total disability, subsection (b) permits the Board, on a proper application, to require care, services and products it finds reasonably necessary. These provisions are the basis for evaluating a support request; a product being useful does not settle whether it meets the legal standard.
After an agreement or award based on permanent partial impairment, subsection (c) addresses additional care within the statutory review period to limit or reduce the impairment. That is why “my claim is open” is not enough information by itself. Ask which agreement, award and claim stage govern the request. Do not assume an open file means unlimited lifetime care.
For the effect of a settlement on later care, see our guide to settlements and later care in Indiana.
Home health and attendant care
Describe the help actually needed at home. Nursing visits, assistance with transfers or personal care, and ordinary household chores are different requests. The statutory question is whether the requested service is necessary under the applicable part of IC 22-3-3-4[2]. The Act also addresses charges for nurse services in IC 22-3-3-5[3]. Neither provision means every task a family member takes over becomes a paid service.
For a home-care request, ask the treating physician to address the tasks, the level of assistance, the number and length of visits, the expected duration and any need for reassessment. If a discharge plan calls for help, include it. A description such as “needs help at home” leaves important questions unanswered. These are practical documentation suggestions, not a special statutory checklist.
If a spouse or another relative is already helping, keep an accurate task-and-time log and ask for a written decision about the proposed arrangement. Do not assume the carrier will pay a relative’s wages, replace lost earnings or reimburse every hour. Whether particular family-provided services are compensable requires review of the facts and governing law; this guide does not promise payment for informal care.
Ask the clinician what to do if the planned help is not available before discharge. Do not substitute this article for medical instructions or attempt a transfer technique you have not been trained to use.
Wheelchairs and other equipment
A wheelchair request should identify the type of chair and the function it needs to serve. Ask the physician and appropriate evaluator to explain why the proposed configuration fits the injury-related limitations, including any necessary cushion, controls or accessories. The governing statutory language is about necessary services and products; it does not automatically approve a particular brand or every optional feature.
Before delivery, ask who is responsible for fitting, training, maintenance, repairs and a temporary replacement if the equipment stops working. Request a written response on those items instead of assuming they were included in approval of the original device. An existing approval, the claim stage and medical documentation can affect a later request.
Avoid using the rules for one product as a shortcut for another. Subsection (f) of IC 22-3-3-4[2] has specific provisions for artificial members, braces and prosthodontics, including certain repairs or replacements through the Second Injury Fund. That is not a blanket rule promising lifetime replacement of every wheelchair or household device.
Home and vehicle modifications
A ramp, bathroom alteration or vehicle adaptation may be proposed as a way to address a documented injury-related need. Indiana’s statute does not contain a simple home-renovation allowance or a standard vehicle-purchase benefit. Evaluate the request under its services-and-products provisions and the applicable claim stage. A medically supported adaptation request is not the same thing as automatic payment for a complete remodel or a new van.
| Request | Functional detail | Useful supporting material |
|---|---|---|
| Home care | Tasks requiring help and when help is needed | Physician order, care plan, proposed schedule and task log |
| Wheelchair or equipment | Required function, fit and accessories | Evaluation, prescription, itemized quote and service plan |
| Home changes | Specific barrier at an entrance, doorway or bathroom | Assessment, photographs, measurements and itemized proposal |
| Vehicle adaptation | Entry, seating, transport or driving needs | Professional evaluation, proposed equipment and vehicle compatibility information |
This table is a preparation tool, not a list of automatically covered benefits. Ask the medical team to explain why the proposed option addresses the work-related limitation and whether a less extensive option would meet the same need. Separate medically supported work from elective upgrades so the decision maker can evaluate the actual request.
For a rented home, permission to make a change and responsibility for paying for it are separate issues. The Indiana Civil Rights Commission’s housing-modification guidance[4] explains that housing rules may allow necessary disability-related changes while payment responsibility varies. Landlord permission does not establish workers’ comp coverage; a workers’ comp request does not replace the housing arrangements.
For a vehicle, distinguish getting into it, being transported as a passenger and driving it. Bring the evaluator’s recommendations and an itemized proposal showing the adaptation separately from the base vehicle. Do not commit to buying a vehicle on the assumption that workers’ comp will reimburse it. Seek a written decision on the actual proposal first.
A practical request packet
For a Fort Wayne or Allen County worker, organize one packet that the medical office, claims representative and any attorney can review. Our Allen County workers’ compensation page explains local representation. Use copies, keep the originals and send sensitive material through the agreed private channel.
- Identify the claim. Include the claim number, incident date, clinician name and claims contact.
- State the exact request. List the proposed service or item, not just “more help.”
- Attach medical support. Ask the physician to connect the request to the work injury and describe expected frequency, duration and reassessment.
- Describe the practical obstacle. Explain the task or access problem without exaggeration. Include relevant assessment findings.
- Attach an itemized proposal. Itemize equipment, labor, visits, accessories and optional upgrades.
- Ask for a written response. Request clarification of what is approved, what is declined, the reason and any missing documentation.
- Keep a chronology. Save the submission, delivery confirmation, follow-ups and responses.
Example request: “Please review the attached physician’s order and assessment for the listed support. The documents describe the need, proposed service or device, duration and estimate. Please confirm the approved scope or identify what additional information is needed.” This is a suggested cover note, not a Board form or an assurance of approval.
If the request is delayed or denied
First identify the disagreement: Is the carrier questioning the connection to the injury, medical necessity, the amount of care, the proposed equipment, the cost or the claim’s procedural status? Ask for the reason in writing and have the physician address any actual medical gap. Merely resending the same broad request may not resolve the issue.
The Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board’s informal-dispute process[5] starts with a Request for Assistance, State Form 45442. A case coordinator can inquire into the problem and try to resolve it. The Board explains that an unfavorable informal result must be taken through the formal hearing process if the party wants to pursue it further; informal assistance is not a substitute for an enforceable adjudication.
The Board’s employee guidance[6] also explains that an employee who believes medical care is inadequate may file an Application for Adjustment of Claim. Ask about the correct filing and any applicable deadline for your situation. Do not assume an informal request extends a statutory filing or review period.
Do not interpret the recommendation to seek advance written arrangements as an absolute bar on reimbursement. IC 22-3-3-4[2](d) addresses necessary and proper services or products obtained during temporary total disability because of an emergency, the employer’s failure to provide required care or another good reason, subject to Board approval. Subsection (e) separately prohibits delaying emergency medical care considered necessary by the attending health-care-facility physician. Those exceptions require careful factual review; they do not make every self-directed purchase reimbursable.
For provider-selection questions, see who chooses the workers’ comp doctor in Indiana. For help with a specific support request, bring the medical order, itemized proposal, correspondence and relevant agreement or award to a free case evaluation with Chad Delventhal.
Questions workers and families ask
Can Indiana workers’ comp pay for home health care?
It may, when the requested service is necessary for the covered work injury under the applicable statutory standard. A detailed physician order and care plan help explain the request. An open claim alone does not establish the number of visits or hours payable.
Will workers’ comp pay a family member who helps me?
Do not assume it will. Document the tasks and time, obtain medical support and seek a decision about the proposed arrangement. Payment for particular family-provided services needs individualized legal review; ordinary family help is not automatically a wage-replacement benefit.
Does a wheelchair prescription automatically approve every accessory?
No. The request should explain the necessary chair configuration and accessories. Ask for written clarification of the approved scope, including fitting and service arrangements, rather than treating the prescription as unlimited purchasing authority.
Does Indiana workers’ comp automatically buy a new home or van?
No. The statute’s medical services and products provisions do not create an automatic entitlement to a new home or vehicle. A proposed adaptation needs a fact-specific assessment of medical need, scope and the applicable claim stage.
This article is general information, not legal advice or medical advice. Individual facts, orders and filing periods matter. Consult a lawyer about your individual situation. Source check: September 16, 2026.
