When it comes to an event that is covered by workers’ comp, who gets to choose a doctor, the employer, or the employee? Let’s answer that today.
If your employee gets injured on the job, it’s you, the employer or the insurance carrier that has a right to choose a treating physician in most cases.
Now, even though they aren’t able to choose their own doctor, there are a few exceptions to this rule. There is a change request option in case the employee’s unhappy with the doctor. Now this will still have to be authorized by the employer or the insurance carrier. And in most cases, it can only be done once for any one accident.
There are also three exceptions. One, if it requires immediate assistance, no authorization is required. Secondly, if a change request has been made, but no response from the carrier has been received within five days, then they can go ahead and choose their own doctor. And lastly, if they have a managed care arrangement or a network of doctors, then the employee can just choose from one of those doctors within the network.
So there you have it, the employer chooses first, but there are exceptions to the rule.