Medical Provider Network

A medical provider network (MPN) is a group of physicians and medical personnel who are allowed to provide treatment to injured employees in any given state. States which require injured workers to receive care from doctors within the medical provider network will also require the MPN to be approved by the state's Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC) before it can be used.

Medical provider networks can enlist thousands of medical providers to provide injured workers with a variety of services to treat their work-related conditions. The goal of the medical provider network is similar to that of the employer: to return the injured worker back to the workplace as soon as possible. This is best done through great medical care.

Medical providers which can be part of a medical provider network include primary care physicians, occupational health and rehabilitation therapists, behavioral health care specialists, ancillary providers, neurologists, occupational specialists, chiropractors, physical therapist, and alternative medical practitioners.

Work comp laws vary by state. Talk to your employer about your medical care options after a work injury. In states such as California which have medical provider networks there are a wide range of doctors, who specialize in work-related injuries, who can review your case. Failure to follow your state's workers' compensation laws by obtaining medical care outside of the required medical provider network could jeopardize your right to paid medical care.

All medical provider networks must follow very specific treatment guidelines, including allowing workers to get second and third opinions if the worker is not satisfied with the treatment of the first doctor. In some cases injured workers who continuously fail to get the treatment they need from an assigned doctor can request an independent medical review (IMR).