Getting Medical Care - How do you chose and use your own doctor for worker related injury.

PARA LEER EN ESPANOL

Medical Panels
Many employers established a panel of medical providers to send their injured workers to. These are doctors paid by your employers insurance company. They give you this list in so you can choose one of their doctors. But your employer can not tell you which of those doctors to choose. And even after you choose, you can switch to another of the doctors on the list within this 90-day period.

Both you and your employer would like to see you get better and go back to work. But often an employer wants to send a worker back before they have improved enough for a safe return to work.

The first 90 days
During the first 90 days after your injury, you have no choice but to see their doctors. But this does not mean that you cannot also see you own doctor. We urge you to get a real second opinion from your own doctor. But please be aware that this is not going to be paid for by worker's comp. And in all likelihood, it will not be paid for by health insurance. So discuss with your doctor how you can get examined without having to pay a large amount for the examination. You would be surprised how accommodating your family doctor may be in this circumstance.

What about after the first 90 day?
The good news is that you can choose you own doctor after the 90 day time period has expired.

When else can you choose your own doctor?
If your employer fails to provide a panel of medical providers, you may treat with your own doctor. In addition, when an insurance company has denies your workers compensation claim, you can select a doctor on your own. Further, if all of the doctors on the list cannot give you an appointment, then you can select your own doctor.

Please consult a lawyer as soon as possible. In some circumstances the employer fails to provide the proper paper work. This failure can impact your ability to choose your own doctor. Sometimes the employers failure will allow for you to see your own doctor.

Is surgery required? This is another situation where you may be entitled to consult your own physician. If medically prudent, get a second opinion before going under the knife.

Fill out this form to see if you have a case:
First Name:
Last Name:
Phone:
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Address:
City:
State/Zip:	/
Date of Injury:
What injuries did you suffer?
Please describe how your injury occurred:
In what state did this happen?
I was denied or they terminated my workers compensation

About SLD Work Comp Lawyers: For the past 37 years, SLD has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to "the little guy" in getting worker comp for work related injury and illness. Our passion for helping those in need continues to grow today. We know how difficult it can be to deal with the bureaucracy of insurance companies. Let us help you cut through the red tape and get on the road to justice and full compensation.