If you sustain an injury at your workplace, you should feel confident that the state workers’ compensation system will cover your medical bills. An early step you can take is to consult the health care provider list established by your employer.
You should have signed this list when your employer hired you and if your employer had changed the list. Also, you should find the list posted in a reasonable location. Pennsylvania law dictates what information your employer should include in the list.
Number of providers
The physician list should offer a reasonable variety of care providers to choose from. State law mandates that an employer list no less than six providers. Additionally, at least three of the required six providers must be physicians. Also, an employer can name providers other than physicians.
Contact information
The list should tell you how to get in touch with the providers on the list and know their locations. Required details include the name, address and telephone number of each provider. These locations should be places you can reach without prolonged travel.
Specialties
You should learn the specialty of each provider. Under state law, the list must offer medical providers who would usually treat the typical injuries of your workplace. However, if you need treatment from a specialist that is not on the list, state law may allow you to switch to your preferred care provider.
In general, you may pick your own physician if the designated provider list does not comply with state law. So a close examination of the list could help you realize that you have more options than you think.
