YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR OWN DOCTOR
You may have been told that you have to go to the doctor that your supervisor or agency tells you to. The law says different. You can choose your own doctor in OWCP. You can choose your own doctor. Your supervisor can’t get in the way of your right to choose. And, your supervisor is obligated to tell you about your right to choose. Unfortunately, management usually says the opposite of the law.
IN OWCP, YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR OWN DOCTOR FOR THE TREATMENT OF YOUR OWCP WORK INJURY.
Laws Related to Choosing Doctors
CA-810
INJURY COMPENSATION FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: 6-3. Choice of Physician
Initial Choice. An employee is entitled to initial choice of physicianfor treatment of an injury. He or she may choose any licensed physician in private practice who is not excluded, or he or she may choose to be treated at a government medical facility if one is available. Such facilities include hospitals of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Department of Veterans Affairs and their medical officers.
Agency personnel may not interfere with the employee’s right to choose a physician, nor may they require an employee to go to a physician who is employed by or under contract to the agency before going to the physician of the employee’s choice.
20 CFR 10.300
What are the basic rules for authorizing emergency medical care?
(d) The employer should advise the employee of the right to his or her initial choice of physician. The employer shall allow the employee to select a qualified physician, after advising him or her of those physicians excluded under subpart I of this part. The physician may be in private practice, including a health maintenance organization (HMO), or employed by a Federal agency such as the Department of the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Veterans Affairs. Any qualified physician may provide initial treatment of a work-related injury in an emergency. See also § 10.825(b).