Can I Choose or Change My Doctor in an Ohio Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Your treating doctor plays a central role in your claim. The doctor’s records and opinions decide whether treatment is approved, whether you are paid while off work, and when you are ready to return. That makes the choice of doctor one of the most important decisions you will make.

You have the right to choose

Injured workers in Ohio have the absolute right to choose which doctor they treat with for their work-related injuries. Neither the Ohio BWC nor your employer can force you to treat at a specific facility or with a specific provider. Being seen first at an emergency room or a company clinic does not lock you into that provider.

The doctor must be BWC-certified

To have treatment paid in the claim, your doctor must be a BWC-certified provider. Most doctors who regularly treat injured workers are certified. If you are not sure, ask the office before your first visit.

The physician of record

The doctor who manages your care in the claim is called the physician of record. That doctor requests treatment, completes the forms that support payment of lost wages, and gives opinions about your work restrictions.

Changing doctors

Yes. An injured worker can change the physician of record at any time. To do it, you complete the Notice to Change Physician of Record (form C-23) with the new doctor’s name and address, sign it, and send it to your managed care organization (MCO). If you work for a self-insured employer, you send it to your employer instead.

A few practical points

• Only treatment related to the allowed conditions in your claim will be paid.
• Treatment generally needs to be requested and approved before it begins.
• If you are unhappy with your care, make the change sooner rather than later, and keep going to appointments in the meantime. Gaps in treatment can be used against a claim.

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