Medical Care for Injured Workers in Colorado
After suffering an injury after an on-the-job accident, your employer is required to provide you with the names of two doctors. You can then choose between either doctor for your medical care. Unfortunately, the doctors chosen for you are almost always pro-insurance, as the doctors are often sent a great of deal work from insurance companies.
If you have not been given two doctors to choose between, then you are free to choose a doctor of your own. If you have already been seeing the one doctor provided to you, you still have the choice to walk away and obtain your own preferred provider.
The nuances involved in this situation can be confusing. Call the Eley Law Firm to schedule a free consultation with one of our Denver employee medical benefits attorneys.
720.279.9172 · 866.458.6360 · Free Consultation · Contact a Lawyer
Whether you see your own physician or one of the doctors provided to you by your employer's insurance company, there are two factors that you must remember:
- Be very honest and straightforward in your initial appointment. The initial doctor you see for your workplace injuries determines whether you should see a specialist. As an insurance company's chosen physician will be looking for any inconsistencies in your actions and statements, do not try to lie or overstate your injuries.
- Never say you are feeling better if that is not true. Do not let any doctor talk you into saying what they want you to say. This is especially true for insurance-provided physicians.
You are entitled to reasonable and necessary medical care.
Regardless of where you receive your medical care, you are entitled to receive reasonable and necessary treatment for your work injuries. Your initial physician should send you to the necessary specialist or specialists, if appropriate. They should also treat you for as long as required to allow your injuries to heal.
Frequently, a treating doctor will release a patient from care early by saying the patient has reached maximum recovery. This occurs even if the patient is still hurting from the accident. If your doctor is saying that you will be released because you have reached maximum recovery, even though you know you haven't, you need to reach out to an experienced workers' compensation attorney.
We can request a second opinion on the determination of maximum recovery. We will advocate for your rights to medical treatment and benefits.
If an adjuster denies treatment, we can take them to court.
An insurance adjuster can deny treatment if he or she can get a doctor to say that your medical treatment is unnecessary or unreasonable. If they can get a doctor to say this, but your treating physician says your treatment is necessary, then we can request a hearing before an administrative law judge. The judge would review both doctors' assessments and make a determination. Insurance adjusters know we are not afraid to take this step, which can benefit you in the process.
Protect Your Rights · Contact a Boulder County Injured Employee Attorney
If you have questions about how to choose a doctor after your on-the-job injury, call the Eley Law Firm at 866.458.6360 or 720.279.9172. You can also reach us by filling out the e-mail form on the contact page. Your first consultation is free.
