Worker’s Compensation

What Pennsylvania Law Says About Choosing Your Doctor

Most injured workers hear the same thing on day one. "You have to see the company doctor for 90 days." That is only partly true, and it is often not true at all.

Here is how the rule actually works under the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act.

Your employer may post a list of health care providers. The list must name at least six providers. At least three must be physicians. If your employer posted that list correctly, told you your rights in writing, and had you sign to show you understood, then you do need to treat from that list for the first 90 days after your first visit.

That is a lot of steps. Employers miss them often.

When You Can Choose Your Own Doctor Right Away

State regulations are direct on this point. If your employer did not give you the written notice and cannot show your signed acknowledgment, you are released from the 90-day duty, and the employer stays responsible for your care.

So, it is worth asking two simple questions after any work injury:

1. Can I see the posted list of providers?
2. Can I see the acknowledgment form I signed?

If either one does not exist, you may be free to pick your own doctor from the start. Bring whatever paperwork you have to your visit and we can help you sort out where you stand. For questions about your legal rights, talk with a workers' compensation attorney.

What You Can Do During the First 90 Days

Even when the list is valid, you have more room than people realize.

You can switch from one provider on the list to another at any time. You do not have to stay with the first one.

You can see a specialist that a listed provider refers you to, and that care is covered.

You can go to the emergency room anywhere for an emergency. Non-emergency care goes back to the list for the rest of the 90 days.

You can see any doctor you want at your own cost during the 90 days.

If a listed provider tells you that you need surgery, you have the right to a second opinion from a doctor you choose, and your employer pays for that opinion.

That last one matters. Surgery is a decision you live with for a long time. A second opinion before you agree to an operation is reasonable, and Pennsylvania law protects it.

After 90 Days

Once 90 days have passed since your first visit, you may treat with any provider you choose. Your employer still pays, as long as the care is reasonable and necessary.

There is one step you have to take. Tell your employer within five days of your first visit to the new doctor. Put it in writing and keep a copy.

Work Injuries We Treat

Work injuries are not all lifting injuries, and they are not all backs. Dr. Prisk treats the full range of musculoskeletal work injuries, including:

• Ankle sprains, ankle fractures, and ankle instability
• Achilles and Peroneal Tendon Injuries
• Foot fractures and crush injuries
• Knee injuries, including meniscus and ligament tears
• Rotator cuff tears and other shoulder injuries
• Elbow and biceps injuries
• Hand and wrist injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome
• Repetitive motion and overuse injuries
• Neck and back pain from a work event

If your injury needs a service we do not provide in the office, we will tell you and help you get to the right place.

What Your First Visit Looks Like

You will see the surgeon, not just a staff member.

We take a full history of how the injury happened, because how it happened matters to your claim as well as to your treatment. We examine you. We review any imaging you have already had, and we order our own if what you have is not clear enough to decide on.

You leave with a diagnosis in plain language, a treatment plan, and written work restrictions that say what you can and cannot do. Vague notes cause problems with employers and adjusters. Specific ones do not.

Getting You Back to Work Safely

The goal is a real return to work, not a fast one that fails.

Research on return to work after orthopedic injury points to something useful here. Patients who expect to be back to their usual activities within about 90 days tend to get back to work sooner. Expectations are shaped by whether someone explains the plan clearly. That is part of the job, and we treat it that way.

Sometimes the right answer is modified duty while you heal. Sometimes it is time off. We write restrictions that reflect what your body can actually do, and we update them as you improve.  We will often use objective measures like a functional capacity examination (FCE) to determine safe and tolerable return to work strategies.

Why an Independent Practice Matters

Prisk Orthopaedics and Wellness is an independent practice. Dr. Prisk holds surgical privileges at Allegheny Health Network and UPMC facilities, which means you get access to hospital resources without being inside a hospital system's scheduling and referral machinery.

Being independent means no employer, insurer, or health system sets our treatment targets. We recommend what the injury needs. If that is therapy and time, we say so. If it is surgery, we explain why, what it involves, and what recovery looks like week by week.

We also work with whoever else is involved in your case. That includes your employer, the adjuster, your case manager, and your attorney if you have one. Clear documentation from the treating surgeon prevents most of the fights that hold up care.

Schedule a Work Injury Evaluation in Monroeville

Prisk Orthopaedics and Wellness
2490 Mosside Blvd, Monroeville, PA 15146
412-525-7692

We see work injury patients from Monroeville, Penn Hills, Plum, Murrysville, Wilkins Township, and across the Greater Pittsburgh area. Bring your paperwork, including the provider list and anything you signed, and we will start with where you actually stand.