100% of reasonable medical care for a covered work injury is paid through Idaho workers' compensation, not by the employee's personal health insurance and not out of the employee's pocket first. In Idaho, that system is governed by Idaho Code Title 72 and administered through the Idaho Industrial Commission in Boise.

If your Boise employee was hurt arising out of and in the course of employment - for example, in a delivery crash during shift-change traffic near Micron, or in an ATV rollover while doing work on rural property - your workers' comp carrier generally pays for:

• Doctor and hospital bills
• Surgery, imaging, prescriptions, and physical therapy
• Mileage reimbursement for medical travel
• Wage-loss benefits if the worker misses enough time
• Permanent impairment benefits if the injury leaves lasting damage

The employee usually does not get to sue the employer for those injury damages because workers' comp is generally the exclusive remedy against the employer in Idaho.

The question you should ask next is: what costs can still come back on my business?

Two main ones matter.

First, your workers' comp premiums can rise after a serious claim, especially with high-cost injuries like a hand crush or degloving injury.

Second, if someone other than your business caused the injury - such as a negligent driver in a hydroplaning crash on I-84, a defective machine manufacturer, or a contractor that left storm debris in a work area - that third-party claim can affect who ultimately bears the loss. Your workers' comp insurer may have a lien on any third-party recovery for benefits it paid.

Also act fast: Idaho requires the worker to give the employer notice of the accident as soon as practicable, and a formal workers' comp complaint generally must be filed within one year if the claim is disputed.