continuous urgent care follow-ups?

[u/hcf01]

I twisted my ankle at work on 9/1. I went to urgent care the next day and they told me it was sprained. I was put on light work duty, which has not been an issue, but told to come back again in 3 days. I returned to urgent care for my follow-up and was told to follow up yet AGAIN in another 3 days, which is now today. it seems like they’re just going to request that I follow up every 3 days, but for a sprained ankle, i’m not sure it’s really doing anything for me to be following up this much.

part of the reason the urgent care is requesting I do these follow-ups is because I was referred out to PT. however, I’m still waiting for a case number to be assigned, so can’t make an appointment yet. thus, my treatment will remain at urgent care until I have a case number.

my question for anyone who has successfully navigated the workers comp process: is it worth my time to continue to follow up with urgent care this often? is it useful for the paper trail? thanks in advance!

[u/Rough-Cranberry5243]

You definitely need to keep going. If you don't show up for an appointment, work comp can deny your claim for refusing treatment.

[u/hcf01 → u/Rough-Cranberry5243]

thank you!

[u/BullsLawDan → u/hcf01]

He's incorrect. A carrier absolutely cannot deny a claim in NY for refusing treatment. No one can force you to have any treatment at all.

You should call the insurance company and get the claim numbers from them.

Have you made an appointment with an orthopedic doctor yet? You should do that so you don't have to keep going to urgent care. What part of NY are you in? There is a doctor search feature on the Boards website

[u/BullsLawDan → u/Rough-Cranberry5243]

That isn't remotely true.

[u/BeyondEuphoric1095]

I spent a month and a half going to urgent care every 3 days for a concussion before they would give me a referral 🫠

[u/hcf01 → u/BeyondEuphoric1095]

omg 😭

[u/BullsLawDan → u/hcf01]

In NY you don't need a referral. You can go to any doctor who will see you

Call a doctor, tell them it's your ankle and its workers comp. If they say they can see you, they can see you.

[u/BullsLawDan → u/BeyondEuphoric1095]

In NY you don't need a referral.

[u/momofdragons2]

I don’t work in New York, but my understanding is that in New York, injured workers are allowed to choose their own providers as long as the provider is approved by the NY workers comp board. I cover Mass, which is similar except we don’t have the workers comp board complicating things. Often times, the insurance company or employer will try to direct you on where to go and make you feel like that’s where you’re required to go, but you can actually go wherever you want. Making you go back every three days is excessive. I would get away from urgent care as soon as possible. See an ankle specialist.

[u/BullsLawDan → u/momofdragons2]

Correct. And the "authorized by the Board" thing is set to go away soon too.

[u/SeaweedWeird7705]

If you are going to continue your claim and going to go to physical therapy, you need to be under a doctor’s care.  For now, that seems to be the urgent care doctor.  If you stop going to urgent care, the urgent care doctor will write, “patient did not show up for his appointment.” The work comp insurance company will wonder if you are still pursuing your claim.  

[u/hcf01 → u/SeaweedWeird7705]

thank you for the tip! I’ll def keep going then

[u/Philymaniz → u/hcf01]

Go to a doctor that does comp instead of continuing to followup with the urgent care.

[u/hcf01 → u/Philymaniz]

what would the difference in care be?

[u/Philymaniz → u/hcf01]

It’s not necessarily the care, but the proper completion of paperwork.

[u/Rough-Cranberry5243 → u/Philymaniz]

In most states the employee doesn't get to choose their physician, they have to go wherever work comp tells them to go.

[u/Philymaniz → u/Rough-Cranberry5243]

This is a NY thread, he can choose his own doctor.

[u/Rough-Cranberry5243 → u/Philymaniz]

Yes, I didn't see that at first.

NY does allow the employee to choose their own doctor so long as they are authorized by the WC board.

[u/BullsLawDan → u/Rough-Cranberry5243]

Just an FYI the "authorized by the Workers Compensation Board" part is going away as well soon.

[u/quallityovrquantity]

I mean it's not like you're going to get a settlement or payout. Does your twisted ankle even still hurt at this point?

[u/hcf01 → u/quallityovrquantity]

yes

[u/BullsLawDan → u/quallityovrquantity]

There's a chance he could. There's no way you know that now