Powell, Zero, Mundy assists injured workers in Pennsylvania assert their right to collect workers’ compensation benefits. After a work-related injury, a worker must comply with certain requirements when making a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. The Pennsylvania worker’s compensation program allows injured workers to receive reimbursement for lost earnings (indemnity benefits), medical treatment, death benefits, and vocational rehabilitation.

Many clients are often confused by the regulations related to which doctor they are required to see after a work-related injury occurs. The Pennsylvania Workman’s Comp Act requires that an injured worker treat with a company doctor for 90 days from the first visit provided that the employer itself meets certain requirements.

These include the employer listing a panel of at least six designated health care providers, giving written notice to the employee of the employee’s rights and duties, and obtaining the employee’s written acknowledgment that this notice has been received and the employee has been informed of these rights and duties.

If an employer fails to meet the aforementioned requirements, an injured worker may seek and obtain treatment from any doctor or healthcare provider. Unfortunately, what often occurs is that an employer will fail to meet its requirements thus freeing the injured employee to see any doctor, but many doctors will refuse to treat the employee for 90 days because of fear that payment will not be made. Pennsylvania law requires that an employee’s health insurance carrier is legally responsible to pay medical bills when payment has been denied by a workers’ compensation carrier.