Choosing your own doctor for a work injury, by state

Who picks the doctor for a work injury in each state, whether you can name your own doctor in advance, and how to change doctors.

Deadlines are strict. If you are near one, call the state agency or free help today.

A dash means the data did not give a single number for that state; the state page has the rule in words.

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State	Who chooses	Own doctor in advance	Changing doctors
Alabama	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	If you are dissatisfied with the first treating physician and more treatment is needed, tell your employer; you are entitled to pick a second physician from a panel or list of four physicians chosen by your employer (not all from the same practice).
Alaska	You choose	—	You may change your attending physician once without your employer's consent, but you must notify the insurer before the change.
Arizona Not covered yet: State workers' compensation agency · LawHelp.org	—	—	—
Arkansas	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	Ask the carrier or employer first; it should answer within 5 business days.
California	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	Allowed	With an MPN: choose another MPN doctor after the first visit.
Colorado	You choose from a list	—	Within 90 days after the injury you can make a one-time change to another doctor on the designated list without the insurer's approval, using Form WC3.
Connecticut	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	You can change your attending physician by getting a referral from your current doctor, getting the insurer's (or self-insured employer's) approval, or writing to the administrative law judge at the district office with the old and new doctor's names, addresses and specialties and your reasons.
Delaware	You choose	—	No set limit on changing doctors appears in the law, but each provider you use must be reported to the employer or carrier in writing.
District of Columbia	You choose	—	Once you choose a treating physician, you may not change doctors without approval from your employer's insurance company or the Office of Workers' Compensation.
Florida	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	You may ask the carrier in writing for one change of doctor during your treatment for each accident.
Georgia	You choose from a list	—	You may make one change to another doctor on the posted panel (or to another eligible WC/MCO doctor) without your employer's permission.
Hawaii	You choose	—	You may change your attending physician once, but you must notify the employer's insurance carrier before making the change.
Idaho	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	To change doctors, first give your employer or its insurer written notice of your request; the employer must answer in writing within 14 days.
Illinois	You choose	—	Your second choice of doctor (and that doctor's referrals) is your one change.
Indiana	Your employer or its insurer chooses	Not allowed	If you feel you are not receiving adequate medical care, you can file an Application for Adjustment of Claim with the Board. If your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement and your benefits are being stopped, you can ask the Board for an independent medical exam; the employer pays for one such exam.
Iowa	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	If you are dissatisfied with the care, tell your employer or its insurer why (in writing if asked) and ask for alternate care.
Kansas Not covered yet: State workers' compensation agency · LawHelp.org	—	—	—
Kentucky	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	Within a managed health care system you are allowed a choice of provider in the plan, a second opinion at the employer's expense from an outside doctor if a plan doctor recommends surgery, and outside care when treatment is not available in the plan.
Louisiana	You choose	—	After your first choice, you need your employer's or insurer's consent to change to another doctor in the same specialty.
Maine	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	After 10 days of treatment, you may switch to a health care provider of your choice by telling your employer the provider's name and that you intend to treat there.
Maryland	You choose	—	If you and the employer or insurer disagree about medical treatment, you can raise the issue with the Commission by filing an Issues form, and a commissioner decides it at a hearing.
Massachusetts	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	After the first appointment you can pick a doctor other than one provided by the insurer and switch to another doctor once.
Michigan	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	After 28 days you may change to a doctor of your choice by telling your employer (and its insurer), preferably in writing, the doctor's name and that you intend to treat with that doctor.
Minnesota	You choose	—	You can change primary providers once within the first 60 days after treatment for the injury begins without anyone's approval.
Mississippi	You choose	—	Your chosen provider may refer you once to another specialist without approval from the employer or insurer.
Missouri	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	There is no automatic right to change doctors at the employer's expense.
Montana	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	After the insurer designates a treating physician or refers you in writing to a managed care organization, you must get care from that physician or organization unless the insurer authorizes otherwise; the insurer does not have to pay for other care, except emergency treatment.
Nebraska	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	Once the doctor is chosen after you were told your rights, you cannot change doctors unless your employer agrees or the court orders a change.
Nevada	You use the employer's network	—	If you used the State panel and are not satisfied with your first doctor, you can switch once to another panel doctor within 90 days after the injury.
New Hampshire Not covered yet: State workers' compensation agency · LawHelp.org	—	—	—
New Jersey	Your employer or its insurer chooses	—	There is no automatic right to change doctors.
New Mexico	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	Whoever did not make the first choice can switch to a provider of their choosing after 60 days of treatment, by sending the other side a Notice of Change of Health Care Provider.
New York	You choose	—	You may transfer your care to another Board-authorized provider.
North Carolina	Your employer or its insurer chooses	Not allowed	You can ask the Industrial Commission to approve a doctor of your own choosing or to order a change of doctor or treatment.
North Dakota	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	Allowed	After 30 days, you may ask WSI in writing to change providers, giving your reasons and your choice, and serve the request on your employer and WSI at least 30 days before treatment.
Ohio	You choose	—	To switch doctors, fill out the Notice to Change Physician of Record (C-23) and send it to your MCO (or to your employer if it is self-insuring).
Oklahoma Not covered yet: State workers' compensation agency · LawHelp.org	—	—	—
Oregon	You choose	—	After your first choice of attending physician, you can change attending physicians two more times on your own.
Pennsylvania	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	During the 90 days you may switch among providers on the posted list.
Rhode Island	You choose	—	If the insurer has a preferred-provider network approved by the Medical Advisory Board, a change from your first provider must be to a provider in that network; to change to a provider outside the network you need the insurer's (or self-insured employer's) approval.
South Carolina	Your employer or its insurer chooses	Not allowed	You can ask the employer's representative to let you see another doctor.
South Dakota	You choose	—	To change your medical practitioner, you must get written approval from your employer (or the insurer).
Tennessee	You choose from a list	—	Your employer or insurer is usually not required by law to give you a second opinion, but you can ask.
Texas	You choose	—	In a network: you may change treating doctors once without network approval; after that, the network may have to approve a change.
Utah	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	After the first visit to the preferred provider, you may make a one-time change of medical provider during your claim.
Vermont	It depends: network and choice rules both apply	—	To change from the employer's provider, give your employer written notice of why you are not satisfied and the name and address of the provider you chose, using Form 8, Notice of Intent to Change Health Care Provider (available from the insurer or the Department).
Virginia	You choose from a list	Not allowed	To change doctors outside the panel, you need the employer's agreement or an order from the Commission.
Washington	You use the employer's network	—	You may change doctors.
West Virginia	You choose	—	To change your treating physician, you must get prior authorization from your claims adjuster.
Wisconsin	You choose	—	You have the right to a second choice of practitioner by notifying your employer or its insurance carrier.
Wyoming	You choose	—	Once you have chosen a provider, you cannot change unless your current provider refers you to another one, or you notify the Division in writing first, using the Change of Healthcare Provider form and explaining why.