California Petition for Change of Physician for Workers' Compensation

In California, you may choose your personal physician or a qualified medical group as your treating doctor for workers' compensation, but only if:you have already given your employer written notice (known as predesignation) that you want your personal physician to treat you for any future work injuries.

Doctors hired to perform IMEs are paid by the workers' comp insurance company handling your claim. In most cases, the adjuster working your claim chooses the IME doctor you will be required to see.

The Employer's Report of Occupational Injury or Illness (Form 5020). Every employer is required to file a complete report of every occupational injury or illness to each employee which results in lost time beyond the date of injury or illness or which requires medical treatment beyond first aid.

Don't exaggerate your symptoms. Don't be rude or negative. Don't lie.

Under California Labor Code 4600, workers' comp will pay for time off for doctors' appointments that are required by your employer or its insurance carrier.Rather, workers' comp will issue payment equal to one day of temporary disability indemnity for each required doctors' appointment related to your injury.

PRIMARY TREATING PHYSICIAN'S PERMANENT AND STATIONARY REPORT (PR-4) This form is required to be used for ratings prepared pursuant to the 2005 Permanent Disability Rating Schedule and the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (5th Ed.).

The LES Form DWC-1, or First Report of Injury or Illness, is the form used to report workers' compensation accidents or work-related illnesses to your insurance carrier or designated claims office. Delays and errors may increase costs related to processing the claim.

LC 4600(a) mandates that "medical & devices and services, that is reasonably required to cure or relieve the injured worker from the effects of his or her injury shall be provided by the employer.

(1) The primary treating physician is the physician who is primarily responsible for managing the care of an employee, and who has examined the employee at least once for the purpose of rendering or prescribing treatment and has monitored the effect of the treatment thereafter.