Disability Benefits Guide
Michigan Workers’ Compensation: Claims, Disputes, and Help
On This Page
Which System Handles This Claim?
Michigan’s agency explains that private insurers or authorized self-insured employers usually pay workers’ compensation benefits. The agency provides information and dispute procedures, rather than ordinarily acting as the benefit payer.
How Do I Report the Injury?
Report a work injury to the employer promptly and ask for the claim administrator. The employee page explains that provider-selection rules change after the initial treatment period and that notification matters when changing doctors. Check those rules before arranging a switch.
What Do I File?
If the employer will not report the claim, the agency identifies WC-117, Employee’s Report of Claim. Use the current version and keep evidence of submission. This report is different from the form used to request a contested proceeding.
What if Benefits Are Disputed?
If the insurer or self-insured employer disputes the claim, the employee page identifies WC-104A, Application for Mediation or Hearing. Read the current filing instructions and state the benefits or medical issues you want decided.
Where Can I Get Help, and What Should I Bring?
Gather the employer report or WC-117, insurer letters, treatment records, and wage documentation. When contacting the agency, clarify whether the employer refused to report an injury or the insurer investigated and denied it. That distinction determines whether you need reporting help, a dispute application, or assistance understanding a decision already issued.
Choose Your Next Step
- Organize A Claim Or Denial
- Check SSDI And SSI Coordination
- Michigan Disability Benefit Resources
- Explore Workers’ Compensation Help Options
General information, not a decision about your eligibility or legal advice. Source information checked October 20, 2026; rules, forms, and filing methods can change.