Q: I broke my foot on the job. Went to ER and it and it was broke in two places. I went to follow up appt where
I was instructed to go per wc. However this was a dr that practices family medicine. He didn't refer me to a specialist. What can I do?
A: You have the right to choose your own doctor. However, if the wc insurance has a network, then you must choose a treating doctor in the network. You need to know if your claim is network or non-network. Then you will know how to choose a doctor. It gets a little tricky. You can really only switch doctors one time, so you better make sure you trust the new treating doctor. You can find a foot doctor and have your treating doctor refer you to this specialist. If your treating doctor won't cooperate, this is your first big clue that you have a bad treating doctor in most cases. My advice is that you consult with a local attorney because they know the "good" from "bad" doctors in the area. My advice would also be to hire an attorney if an attorney will take your case. The Division of Workers' compensation provides free representation, but the state employees will not be able to help you like a private attorney will. For example, I don't think they would be allowed to tell you which doctor to select.
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