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After an injury on the job, you may be wondering whether you can see your own doctor for treatment while having the costs covered by workers’ comp. This is understandable. Many people feel comfortable with and trust their normal doctor, and may be less willing to see another physician chosen by their employer. However, South Carolina law places restrictions on injured and ill workers’ ability to choose their medical provider under workers’ compensation.

Since the workers’ compensation insurance is paying for the treatment, they get to select the doctors you see, or must pre-approve your treatment elsewhere. Getting the insurance to authorize your care can challenging, to say that least. However, our attorneys know how to prove your treatment is a medical necessity and get you the help you need.

Since 1968, the South Carolina workers’ compensation attorneys of Joye Law Firm have been helping injured individuals obtain the benefits they deserve after on-the-job accidents. Our legal team brings a vast amount of legal experience to each case we handle. Our track record of success has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. . Our Managing Partner Ken Harrell was named Lawyer of the Year for Workers’ Compensation in Charleston by Best Lawyers in America in both 2015 and 2021, and the head of our workers’ compensation department, Matt Jackson, received the award in 2024. You can trust that our firm has the knowledge and resources necessary to pursue the results you deserve.

Contact us for a free case review. A knowledgeable South Carolina workers’ compensation attorney will review your case and explain your rights for receiving treatment.

Does Workers’ Comp Pay for Emergency Room Visits?

Under South Carolina’s workers’ compensation law, your employer or its workers’ compensation insurer has the right to select the medical provider where you receive treatment. Workers’ compensation benefits will cover bills from that provider. Your employer is not required to cover any other medical treatment. That’s true even if you go to see your primary care physician for an initial exam of a possible work injury. However, injured workers are entitled to seek out emergency treatment for a work-related injury or illness from any provider and have that treatment covered by workers’ compensation benefits. If you go to the emergency room following a workplace accident, you need to tell the ER staff that you were injured at work. Having your medical record reflect that you were seeking treatment for a work-related injury will help you pursue workers’ compensation coverage for that ER visit.

Treatment Guidelines and Restrictions While on Workers’ Comp

For ongoing treatment for a work injury or occupational illness, your employer or its workers’ compensation insurer can require you to see a provider they choose or require you to select a provider from a list of approved providers. Only those providers approved by your employer or its insurer can render treatment that will be covered by workers’ compensation benefits.

Requesting a Change in Medical Provider

If you wish to change providers, you can contact your employer or the insurer to request a different provider. If you are denied a switch of providers, you can request a hearing with the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. You can plead your case for a change of providers to a commissioner, who may order your employer or its insurer to allow you to switch providers.

Mileage Reimbursement for Doctors Appointments

Suppose you’re required to see a provider or seek treatment from a facility where the round-trip distance is greater than 10 miles from your home. In that case, South Carolina workers’ compensation law requires that you be reimbursed for the cost of your transportation at a per-mile rate established by the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Your Treating Physician’s Role in a Workers’ Comp Claim

When you seek treatment that will be covered by workers’ compensation benefits, your medical care will usually be overseen by one doctor who is considered your treating physician. Your treating physician will perform many tasks during your recovery, including:

Referring you to specialist physicians, such as orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, or pain management specialists, and to other medical providers such as physical or occupational therapists
Authorizing your medical leave from work
Dictating work restrictions if you return to part-time or light-duty work during your recovery
Determining when you can return to light duty or full duty, or when you have reached maximum medical improvement for your condition
Evaluating whether you have suffered any permanent impairments from a work injury or occupational illness

If you want or need specialized treatment, it will need to first be authorized by your treating physician for workers’ compensation to cover the cost. If your own physician’s recommendations are denied by the insurer, a workers’ compensation hearing will need to be conducted before a commissioner to obtain an order requiring the insurer to cover the treatment.

How to Best Deal with Doctors Who Treat You for Your Injury

When dealing with doctors and other medical providers treating you for your work injury or occupational illness, remember that those providers have been selected by your employer and its workers’ compensation insurer. These entities have an interest in minimizing the cost of your treatment and in getting you back to full duty as quickly as possible.

You can help yourself by making notes prior to any appointment with your treating doctor, documenting every complaint you may have. That way, you can let your treating doctor know about every part of your body that is causing you problems. You should also make sure that your treating physician is documenting all your complaints in your medical record.

You have the right to obtain a copy of your medical records. This will help you ensure your treating physician is recording all your complaints. If things that are bothering you are left out of your medical record, your employer and its workers’ comp insurer may later decline to authorize treatment for a particular complaint.

You should also attend every doctor’s appointment and follow all treatment recommendations and instructions. If you begin missing appointments or slacking off on your treatment, your doctor or your employer and its workers’ comp insurer may conclude that your injuries are not as serious as you claim or that you can return to work. If you do need to miss an appointment, call the doctor’s office to reschedule.

If you genuinely disagree with your treating provider’s opinion, South Carolina law gives you the right to obtain a second opinion (typically at your own expense). If you obtain a contrary opinion from another physician, you also have the right to contest your employer’s or its insurer’s denial of workers’ comp benefits.