| Volume
6 – Work Restrictions |
| January
11, 2005 |
Should
I stop working during treatment? Do I need to quit my job to be treated
for hepatitis C? Should I go on disability?
Most people do work
while they are on treatment. This is not a disabling state that the HCV
patient experiences during treatment. Payment for disability is extremely
difficult to apply for and to attain. An alternative is absence from work
through the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), if your job is at risk with
occasional call-ins.
If
I get cut and bleed, how should I clean it up? How should the people around
me protect themselves?
Protect others by
covering open wounds. The risk of acquiring hepatitis C from spilled blood
is very low, unless the blood enters an open wound. Clean the area (eg
rug) of the blood stain with bleach.
Do
I have to tell my employer or insurance company that I am infected?
Falsifying records
is never helpful to the hepatitis C patient. If you aren't honest with
your insurance company and a medical problem occurs related to HCV, they
will not cover it because you did not disclose the preexisting condition.
Honesty is the best policy; otherwise the bills will be paid by the patient.
Regarding your employer, only you can decide what is best in your situation
to secure your job.
|
