Can you pick your own doctor for a Texas work injury?

Workers’ compensation insurance protects you if you get hurt on the job in Texas. Most employers carry an insurance policy to protect the business from liability and cover their employees when they need medical care and will miss work because of an injury or illness that directly results from their employment. Some companies choose to self-insure, which means they directly cover medical expenses and lost wages for workers hurt or sickened by job responsibilities.

Regardless of what kind of coverage your employer has, you can rely on workers’ compensation to fully pay for your medical care. Unlike your standard health insurance policy that passes too much of the financial responsibility on to you, workers’ compensation pays 100% of the approved medical costs for someone’s treatment.

The doctor overseeing your care is the one who decides what treatment you require, which is why it is so important to see the right physician for your care. Do you get to decide what doctor you see?

You can select your own doctor from a pre-approved list

Every workers’ compensation insurance company has a network of physicians who accept the coverage. You don’t necessarily get to select your primary care physician if they don’t cooperate with the insurance company, but you still get to pick the doctor you see.

You will have to choose a physician from the list of participating medical professionals provided by your employer or the insurance company. Still, you do not have to go to a specific physician recommended by your employer. It is almost always a better choice to select a physician that you know, has treated someone you know or that your attorney recommends.

Having a good rapport and trusting your physician is important, as their guidance will largely determine how completely and quickly you recover from your condition.

You have to know your rights to assert them

Many employers count on their workers not understanding their rights under the Texas workers’ compensation program. They want you to go see a physician that they recommend who will focus more on keeping company costs lower than they will on your overall well-being.

Learning more about how workers’ compensation operates in Texas will help you recover from your work-related medical condition.