It should be noted that the emergency room and the company doctor do not count as the initial
doctor of record unless the injured worker stays beyond 60 days from date of injury. This means
if you get hurt and go to the company doctor or emergency room and change doctors within 60
days you still have not used up your one change of doctor should you need to in the future.

Of course it is always best to have as little transition as possible for many reasons. All things
being equal, anytime there is a change in a doctor or facility this will require a transfer of clinical
records which may cause delays or gaps in treatment. Also, any changes can cause delays in
receiving the temporary income benefit checks from the insurance carrier.

The most important thing to consider however is your health. The ability of the doctor to
efficiently diagnose your condition and make the right decisions about your treatment will
determine how fast and how successful your recovery and return to work will be.
Some important questions to consider when choosing your doctor would be the following:

1. Did I get to decide initially where I went immediately after my injury or did the company or insurance tell where to go?

2. Does my current doctor offer on-going treatment options or is it an emergency or urgent care only clinic?

3. Does my doctor have knowledge of how to handle the specific paperwork rules and requirements of worker’s compensation?

4. Does my doctor have a reputation for effectively communicating with employers and insurance companies, including fighting to protect your
on-going right to healthcare?

Some employers have policies that the injured worker is required to go initially and immediately
to the company doctor for evaluation. This is fine and by all means it is important to cooperate
fully with your employer’s requirements. However, an initial visit to an emergency room or to
the company’s urgent care clinic doesn’t mean that is where you need to continue to go.

Emergency or urgent care facilities are fine for immediate clinical intervention but tend to offer
little for comprehensive evaluation and on-going treatment.

In closing, choose a doctor who understands worker’s compensation and understands how to
effectively evaluate, treat and communicate with your best interest in mind and the goal of
injury recovery will be a much smoother process.