Glossary · PA Workers' Comp

Medical Direction (Employer Right to Direct Care)

The Pennsylvania employer's right to require an injured worker to treat with a designated panel physician for the first 90 days of a workers' comp claim.

Definition

Pennsylvania law gives employers the right to direct medical care for injured workers for the first 90 days following a work injury — provided the employer has properly posted a panel of at least six physicians and the employee is given a copy of the panel.

How to Exercise the 90-Day Medical Direction Right in Pennsylvania

To exercise the right of medical direction, Pennsylvania employers must maintain a panel of at least six healthcare providers or coordinated care organizations. The panel must be posted in a conspicuous location and given to each employee in writing.

An employee who treats with a non-panel provider during the 90-day directed-care period may be responsible for those medical bills. After 90 days, the employee may freely choose their own treating physician.

Medical direction is valuable because panel physicians who specialize in occupational medicine understand workers' comp return-to-work requirements and are more likely to keep injured workers engaged in the recovery and return-to-work process.