Unless your employer is a health care provider who has their own occupational health care system or any other employer with its own qualified on-site health care facility, all Colorado employers are required to provide employees with a “designated provider list” upon notice of a work-related injury. The injured worker must be given a copy of the list within 7 days after the employer receives notice of the injury. The number of physicians on the list depends on how many physicians are within 30 miles of the employer place of business. In more densely populated areas who have 9 or more workers’ compensation physicians within 40 miles, the employer must provide 4 designated providers from which the injured work can choose. Less populated areas will result in lists of one or two physicians.
If the employer fails to provide the designated provider list, the right to choose the physician passes to the injured worker. This is more common with less-sophisticated/organized employers.
Chose your physician carefully, as your experience can be vastly different depending on who ends up treating you. The authorized treating physician has a significant amount of control over your claim, and therefore your medical care. They control work restrictions, referrals, to specialists, and determinations regarding permanent impairment. Contact our office for advice on which doctor is best suited for your situation.