Once an employee's TTD benefits are exhausted, what is typically the next potential benefit they may receive?

• A. Rehabilitation benefits
• B. Permanent disability benefits
• C. Medical benefits
• D. Wage replacement

Answer: (B)

When an employee's Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits are exhausted, the next potential benefit they may receive is typically Permanent Disability Benefits. This is because once TTD benefits, which provide financial support during the recovery period when an employee cannot work at all, come to an end, the situation of the employee may shift from temporary incapacity to a permanent one due to the injury.

Permanent Disability Benefits are designed to compensate the employee for any long-term impacts of their injury that may affect their ability to work and earn a living in the future. This can be due to residual impairments or limitations resulting from the initial injury sustained while working.

Other options such as rehabilitation benefits focus on the employee's recovery and return to work but are usually not the immediate next step after TTD ends. Medical benefits always continue as needed based on the care required for the injury but do not replace income. Wage replacement is a general term that refers to various types of benefits, with TTD being a specific type, so once that is exhausted, wage replacement would transition to permanent disability benefits if applicable. Thus, the pathway to permanent disability benefits makes sense as the next logical step in the benefits process following the conclusion of TTD benefits.