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What are my options if I don’t agree with the workers’ comp doctor?

The options you have if you don’t like your workers comp doctor may vary. In some states, you are permitted to change doctors by putting in a request to the insurer and you may do this as many times as you want. In other states, you can change doctors but are limited to a specific list of approved physicians. In still other jurisdictions, you may be allowed to change doctors only once or you may not be able to change unless a given amount of time has passed.

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Do I have to be examined by the workers’ comp doctor to get my benefits?

If your employer’s insurance carrier has recommended you see a doctor, then you probably do need to see that doctor in order to get benefits. It’s unlikely they think you need further (or different) medical care — chances are that the insurance company is contesting some part of your claim. The examination being recommended is likely called an “independent medical exam,” or IME, though the exact names used for the exam and even for the doctor may vary based on the state you’re in.

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What is an “independent medical examination” (IME)?

In the world of workers compensation insurance, an “independent medical exam” (or “IME”) refers to a third-party medical exam of an insurance claimant’s physical condition, with emphasis of course on the injury at issue. IMEs are usually not requested or issued until after at least one other doctor has opined on your (the claimant’s) condition, so the point of an IME is not the medical care itself, but rather the written report that comes out of it.

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