In a New York workers’ compensation claim, your treating doctor matters more than almost anyone else. Their reports decide whether your treatment gets paid, whether you are paid while you are out, and, at the end, what your claim is worth. Finding one who will actually take a comp case is harder than it should be.
This is a practical, step-by-step guide to finding one. For the rules behind it, including the change coming on January 1, 2028, read Can I use my own doctor for workers’ comp in New York?
If it is an emergency, skip all of this and go to the nearest emergency room. The authorization requirement does not apply to emergency care. You can switch to an authorized doctor for follow-up care afterward.
Step 1: Check whether you have a free choice
In most claims you choose your own doctor, as long as that doctor is authorized by the Workers’ Compensation Board. There are a few exceptions, most commonly an employer enrolled in a Board-approved preferred provider organization (PPO), and certain construction-industry programs set up through a union contract.
If your employer or its insurance carrier is telling you to go to a particular clinic, find out whether one of those exceptions applies before you assume you have to. Our page on carrier-directed medical providers explains when you must use their doctor and when you do not.
Step 2: Decide what kind of doctor you need
The Board’s search lets you look by specialty, so it helps to know what you are looking for. A rough guide:
- Broken bones, knees, shoulders, hands and other joints: an orthopedist
- Back and neck pain: an orthopedist, or a physiatrist (a physical medicine and rehabilitation doctor)
- Head injuries and concussions: a neurologist
- Foot and ankle: a podiatrist or a foot and ankle orthopedist
- Depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress after an injury: a psychologist, psychiatrist or licensed clinical social worker
- Not sure yet: a primary care or occupational medicine doctor can start your care and refer you on
Physical therapy is usually prescribed by your treating doctor, so start with the doctor.
Step 3: Search the Board’s provider directory
The Board keeps a directory of every provider authorized to treat workers’ compensation patients. Go to the Board’s health care provider search. From there you can:
- Search by specialty and location to find authorized providers near your home or your job
- Search by last name if you already have a doctor in mind
- Verify a specific provider by NPI or license number, which is the surest way to confirm you have the right person
Two cautions from the Board itself: the results are a directory, not a recommendation, and many doctors practice at several offices, so confirm the location when you call.
Step 4: Call before you book
Being listed does not mean an office is taking new comp patients. Before you make an appointment, call and ask:
- “Do you treat New York workers’ compensation patients, and are you taking new ones?”
- “Is the doctor I would see authorized by the Workers’ Compensation Board?” Ask for the doctor’s name, so you can check it in the directory.
- “Which office will I be seen at?”
- “Will you bill the workers’ comp carrier directly?” An authorized provider generally cannot bill you for treating an accepted work injury.
- “Do you offer telehealth for follow-up visits?” That can help when travel is hard; see telehealth in workers’ comp.
- “What do you need from me?” Usually your Board claim number if you have one, and the name of your employer’s insurance carrier.
An office that hesitates, or says it only treats comp patients on a cash basis, is telling you something. Move on to the next name.
Step 5: Get the first visit right
The first visit sets the tone for the whole claim. Bring a photo ID, your claim number and carrier information if you have them, and a short written note of when and how you were hurt. Then:
- Tell the doctor plainly that the injury happened at work, and how.
- Describe every body part that hurts, not just the worst one. A part left out of the first records is harder to add later.
- Be honest about any earlier injuries to the same area. A prior condition does not end a claim, but hiding one can.
- Ask the doctor to note whether you can work, and with what restrictions.
Step 6: If you cannot find anyone
In some specialties and some neighborhoods, authorized doctors who take new comp patients are scarce. Before you give up:
- Call the Board’s Medical Director’s Office at (800) 781-2362, option 2. The Board offers help finding a provider.
- Consider the New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network. The Board notes that injured workers can be treated at these clinics, which are especially useful for illnesses caused by work exposures. See occupational disease.
- Widen the search area. A doctor near your job may be easier to find than one near home, and follow-ups may be possible by telehealth.
- Call us. Being turned away because it is a comp case is common, and we can help you work through it.
Step 7: Keep an eye on your doctor’s authorization
Authorization is not permanent. Every month the Board publishes a list of providers removed from the authorized list. Reports from a removed provider for treatment given after the removal date are not valid, which can stall your treatment and your benefits.
If your doctor’s office tells you they can no longer treat comp patients, or your checks or treatment approvals suddenly stop, check the directory again and call us. In most claims you can move to another Board-authorized doctor.
And remember that the carrier’s doctor, at an independent medical exam, is not your doctor. Your treating doctor is the one whose care and reports you should be building the claim on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a doctor who takes workers’ comp in New York?
Use the Workers’ Compensation Board’s health care provider search, which lists every provider authorized to treat workers’ compensation patients. You can search by specialty and location or by last name. Then call the office to confirm it is taking new comp patients and which location you would be seen at.
How do I check whether my doctor is authorized by the Workers’ Compensation Board?
Look the doctor up in the Board’s health care provider search. The most reliable way is to search by the doctor’s NPI number or license number, which you can ask the office for.
Can I go to the emergency room or urgent care?
In an emergency, go to the nearest emergency room. The authorization requirement does not apply to emergency care. For follow-up care after the emergency, move to a Board-authorized provider.
What if I can’t find a doctor near me who takes workers’ comp?
Call the Board’s Medical Director’s Office at (800) 781-2362, option 2, for help finding a provider. You can also look into the New York State Occupational Health Clinic Network, widen your search area, or call an attorney for help.
Can I switch doctors in a workers’ comp case?
In most claims, yes. You can generally move to another Board-authorized provider, for example if your doctor stops taking comp patients or loses authorization. Exceptions can apply if your employer uses a Board-approved preferred provider organization.
Talk to a New York workers’ compensation attorney
The Law Offices of Frank J. Dito, Jr. handles workers’ compensation claims from the office on Staten Island, for injured workers throughout the five boroughs and across New York State. If you are having trouble finding a doctor, or the carrier is steering you somewhere you do not want to go, call us.
Call 718.701.2776 or 800.310.5520. Consultations are free. If we don’t recover money for you, we don’t get paid.
1610 Richmond Road #200, Staten Island, NY 10304
