Can I Switch Specialists with Workers’ Compensation?

Of course, your physical health is a very personal matter, and you may care greatly about who you give access to this information and the opportunity to treat you. In other words, it may be very important to you that you hand-select the specialists handling your treatment plan after a workplace accident or due to another work-related injury or illness. But if you are getting coverage through your employer’s workers’ compensation benefits program, you must be extra mindful of these choices. With that being said, please continue reading to learn whether you can choose and switch between specialists while collecting workers’ compensation payments, and how an experienced lawyer in workers’ compensation benefits in Florida, at The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore, can advise you before you make any big decisions.

How many doctors can I choose when receiving workers’ compensation in Florida?

Sadly, under Florida law, you generally do not have the liberty to choose your own doctors while receiving workers’ compensation benefits. Rather, your employer or their insurance carrier may refer you to a pre-approved treating physician. Essentially, this may be the only way your medical bills will be covered. Otherwise, you may be obligated to pay out-of-pocket, regardless of whether your treatment is directly correlated to your workplace accident or work-related injury.

Rest assured, you may be given some leniency here. Say you are dissatisfied with the physician you were initially directed to, whether it be because of clashing communication styles, disappointment over care execution, disagreements over treatment plans, or otherwise. Well, for one time only, you may be permitted to formally request your employer’s insurance carrier to assign a new physician to your case. With this, they are required to respond with a new authorized physician in the same medical field usually within five days. 

Am I allowed to switch between specialists when receiving workers’ compensation?

It is likely that your employer’s insurance carrier will first refer you to a general practitioner. After they examine you, run medical tests, and listen to your health history, they may believe you require more targeted care to treat your work-related injury and refer you to a specialist. Well, they should make this referral within your employer’s insurance carrier’s approved network. But it is best to double-check before an appointment to ensure workers’ compensation coverage.

Again, if you are unhappy with the specialist who was referred to you, you may utilize your one-time switch. But if you have already used this tool, you may request an independent medical examination (IME) that can be used to challenge the authorized specialist’s findings, opinions, and decisions that you do not align with. Or, you may need to let your lawyer step in to file a petition with a Judge of Compensation Claims. 

We understand just how expensive specialist healthcare can be, and how desperate you may feel to get financial relief from it. At The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore, we will do our best to guide you down the path of least out-of-pocket expenses. For diligent legal assistance, please retain the services of a skilled lawyer in workers’ compensation benefits in Florida.