Although many people believe that the workers' compensation system in the United States is a welfare program akin to the AFDC "food stamps" program, this is not actually the case. Instead, the workers' compensation program is based on an insurance model. Employers pay premiums to an insurer, and this insurer covers financial payments and health care coverage when an employee suffers an on-the-job illness or injury. If you are involved in a workplace injury, it is important to remember that your employers' insurer is likely to take their side in the dispute. Like all other insurance firms, companies in the worker compensation insurance business turn a profit by paying as few claims as possible. If the insurer can find a way to deny your claim or reduce your benefits, they probably will. It is this adversarial relationship with their employers' worker compensation insurance company that prompts many injured workers to engage the services of an experienced workers' compensation attorney.