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Who chooses the doctor for a workers’ compensation concern?

On Behalf of | Oct 6, 2024 | Workers' Compensation

There are safety hazards in any profession. Even the most sedentary job could lead to repetitive strain injuries or electrical injuries caused by computers. When professionals get hurt at work or develop a job-acquired medical issue, they can apply for workers’ compensation benefits.

Employers generally have to carry insurance that indemnifies them and helps financially protect their employees. The benefits available include medical coverage to pay for necessary treatment and disability benefits to cover lost wages. The physician overseeing a claim plays an important role in the worker’s treatment and recovery. They decide what care they require, what limitations they may have on the job and when they are ready to return to work.

Who chooses doctors to oversee workers’ compensation treatment?

Employees have the right to choose

In most cases, the injured worker can choose the physician who provides their care during a workers’ compensation claim. Occasionally, the employer may choose the initial physician who evaluates the worker. Particularly in emergency scenarios where workers cannot assert themselves initially due to incapacitating injuries, the company may choose who evaluates them and stabilizes their condition immediately after the initial injury.

However, the worker can potentially select their own physician or another doctor who specializes in certain types of care to oversee their treatment. They can even choose to change the physician providing their care mid-claim if they file the appropriate paperwork with the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

The ability to choose the doctor overseeing the claim can be invaluable for those facing a long-term leave of absence and lasting symptoms. A doctor selected by an employer could have a conflict of interests instead of making the worker’s optimal recovery their top priority. Worker may disagree with them about whether or not they can return to work, what support they need to do their job safely and whether or not they achieve maximum medical improvement (MMI).

Learning about the basic rules that govern workers’ compensation claims can help injured and sickened employees access the benefits they need to pay their bills and get back to work. The doctor a patient selects can play a very important role in getting them the care and financial support they require because of their medical condition.