Do I Have a Right to Be Treated by My Own Doctor?

The answer to this question is most of the time NO. You must use the company Panel of Physicians. You do have two (2) rights:

• You may make a one-time change of doctor from one panel doctor to another of your choice without asking permission to change. This is like asking for a different “poison”. The odds are that the next doctor you pick from the panel is as bad as the first one. That is reality because the insurance company picks the doctors for the panel.

• The worker has the right to a one-time Independent Medical Opinion from ANY doctor of their choosing at the expense of the insurance company. The worker can so within four (4) months after their last receipt of the TTD, TPD or PPD Benefits. However, this doctor is only an independent, one-time opinion giver. You have not changed your doctor by submitting to this examination. Obtaining a one-time examination with your chosen doctor does give you a fresh perspective on your injuries. This doctor may also order certain diagnostic testing never before ordered. This would be very important to your medical case.

I have always felt that the more medical opinions and the more testing that can be performed the better it would be to diagnose a person's injuries.

The insurance folks think the other way. The less medical treatment and fewer diagnostic studies, the less likely you can get to the bottom of what really is going on medically. My job is to shed as much light on your medical condition as an injured person so it can be properly treated. Discovering the truth is very rewarding.