Getting hurt at work can quickly turn an ordinary day into a stressful one. Along with dealing with pain, you may start thinking about where to get medical care. You might already have a doctor in Scranton who knows your history. However, your employer may point you to a specific list of providers. That situation often leads to a practical concern: Must you seek treatment from the company’s doctor, or can you choose your own physician?
When your employer controls the first choice
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation rules often give employers some control over initial treatment. Many workplaces post a panel list of approved health care providers. If your employer has properly established the list, you might need to seek care from one of those designated doctors for the first 90 days following your initial visit. Receiving treatment outside the panel during this period could lead to disputes over who pays the bills.
However, emergencies follow a different path. Going to the nearest emergency room after a fall from scaffolding in Scranton may protect your health right away, even if that hospital is not on the panel list.
When you may switch to your own doctor
As time passes, your options open up. After 90 days, you have the right to switch to your own doctor. Letting your employer know about the change can help keep medical and wage loss benefits moving without confusion.
However, there few situations where you may be able to switch to your own doctor immediately:
- When your employer failed to properly post a provider list at work
- When your employer did not get your signed acknowledgement of the provider list
- When your first treatment involved emergency care
When questions come up about provider changes, speaking with a workers’ compensation attorney may help in weighing your options while protecting coverage.
Focusing on recovery
Getting the right care after a workplace injury plays a big role in healing. At the same time, following Pennsylvania’s workers’ compensation rules can help keep your benefits in place. Understanding how these two goals connect often starts with knowing how the 90-day provider rule works in Scranton workplaces.
