How Are the Doctors Paid?

Insurance Should Pay All Your Medical Costs

When you’re hurt on the job — and you’re Too Hurt To Work^TM — you should never have to pay for medical care.

The Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Act requires your employer or their workers’ comp insurance company to pay for all the health care services resulting from your injury.

The law says you must be provided a workers’ comp doctor.

And the doctor’s charges must be paid by your employer or the insurance company within 30 days. It can go to 60 days if the doctor doesn’t use electronic billing.

All the medical treatment you receive after you start seeing your doctor must follow the workers’ comp medical guidelines.

To make sure you get all the medical care you’re entitled to, check with an experienced workers’ comp lawyer like the ones at Mitchell & Associates.

How to Get the Right Doctor for You

You deserve a doctor who pays close attention to your needs, not someone who tries to rush you through the process.

To be sure you get the best medical care, follow these steps:

• Get your own doctor. Don’t stay with your employer’s doctor. The company doctor’s goal is to get you back to work and off workers’ comp benefits as fast as possible. Your own doctor gives you time to heal.
• Get a doctor who knows workers’ comp. Workers’ comp has its own rules for medical treatment. It has certain forms doctors have to fill out at certain times. You need a doctor familiar with this system.
• Get your doctor approved. You can’t go to any doctor and not tell anyone. When you choose a doctor, you must get him or her approved by your employer and claims adjuster. You do this by sending them a “Choice of Physician” form.

The lawyers at Mitchell & Associates know the local workers’ comp system, the local health care system and how to find doctors who are appropriate for your claim.

Your Other Covered Costs

In addition to the services of the doctors themselves, under workers’ comp, you should receive these medical benefits:

• Reimbursement for costs of traveling to doctors’ offices
• Reimbursement for prescriptions

If your clinic tries to charge you for medical care or your employer tries to make you go only to a company doctor, you need someone to step in and protect your rights.

The experienced attorneys at Mitchell & Associates can make sure workers’ comp works in your favor.

We’ll provide an initial assessment of your case for free.