Yes, but hurry. The recent change to the Workers’
Compensation Act takes away the right to choose your own doctor if you treat
with the company choice for more than 6 months or if you have a surgery.
Many times when people are hurt on the job, they are sent to
the company doctor. What people don’t realize is that they are entitled
by law to choose their own physician and the company has to pay for it.
Companies will often ask you to sign a form saying that you accept the company
doctor as your choice. Signing this form is a mistake. People are
often fooled into thinking that they will have to sign the form to get
treatment. This is simply not true. If the company wants you treated
by the doctor of their choice, they have to pay for it and you don’t have to
accept that doctor as your choice of physician. You can reserve your
right to go to your choice of physician as long as the treatment provided is
reasonably and medically necessary.
Companies will often also pay a nurse to go along with you
to your doctor visits. These are called “nurse case managers.” You
have the right to seek treatment by a doctor without interference in your
so-called “management” by a company paid nurse. If you have been asked to
sign a choice of physician form or if a nurse has been going along to your
appointments with you, you should consult an attorney immediately to determine
what your rights are and to help make sure that you get the best available
medical treatment paid for by the company.
Rogen K. Chhabra
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