Is the Workers Comp Doctor on Your Side
- Posted on: Mar 15 2022
Regardless of where you work, you will likely be covered by workers compensation insurance that your employer provides. The purpose is to cover any lost wages that result from a work-related injury. Although the laws concerning workers compensation vary, the fact of the matter is that you will need to be seen by a doctor in order to receive any benefits.
When it comes to the doctor, what they say and report to the insurer will have a lot to do with the amount of your benefit you obtain and determine if your claim will be approved or denied. With this in mind, many employees may be wondering whose side the doctor is really on when it comes to a claim.
Is the Doctor on your Side or the Insurer´s Side?
To put it bluntly, the doctor has a contract with the workers compensation insurer, so they are working for them and not you. However, no matter who the doctor is working for, they must stand by their oath to practice medicine fairly and with the utmost integrity and have their patient´s health in mind.
Often, an injured employee may not agree with the doctor and request a second opinion.
Can Personal Physicians Provide Care for Workers´ Compensation Claims?
This may depend on the state in which you reside and what the law says about it. When you are employed, you usually choose a healthcare provider from a network of providers that your employer works with. The good thing is that a second opinion is usually granted after you change doctors. However, if the permission is denied and you seek treatment from a new provider, their payment may not happen.
For a doctor change to occur, you may need to prove the circumstances, which may need evidence to support the change. When you get ahold of an experienced workers compensation doctor, they will be able to guide you through this change process as smoothly as possible.
Be prepared for roadblocks along the way, though, because the law will determine whether a change can occur or not. This includes the policies that your employer may have in place concerning which doctors you can see. You may experience some stress knowing that you don´t have complete liberty to see your doctor of choice, especially when the doctor tries to make the condition seem pre-existing.
Get In Touch with an Experienced Workers Compensation Doctor
It is never a good feeling to get a second opinion. This will only result in extra waiting for your claim to be approved. However, it can also determine that you get the right amount of medical care your injury needs. By getting ahold of us today, we will work hard to get you to the right doctor that your claim deserves.
Posted in: Blog, Work Injuries, Workers Compensation Benefits